CN110366271B

CN110366271B - Communication method and communication device

Info

Publication number: CN110366271B
Application number: CN201810487920.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 于游洋
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-04-10
Filing date: 2018-05-21
Publication date: 2023-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-21
Also published as: JP7118237B2; BR112020019138A2; EP3755117A1; KR102389683B1; EP3755117A4; US20220394796A1; CN110366271A; KR20200125673A; EP3755117B1; CN112153758B; US11825540B2; US20200413466A1; JP2021517799A; CN112153758A; US11445559B2

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and a communication device, wherein the communication method comprises the following steps: the terminal equipment sends a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to newly add or update a service flow; the terminal equipment receives a response message sent by the first core network element through the first access technology and/or the second access technology, and the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the second access technology or the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message. The communication method of the embodiment of the application can realize the update flow of the multi-access PDU session.

Description

Communication method and communication device

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication apparatus.

Background

To address the challenges of wireless broadband technology, keeping the leading advantage of the third Generation partnership project (3rd Generation Partnership Project,3GPP) network, the 3GPP standards group developed a next Generation mobile communication system (Next Generation System) network architecture, called a fifth Generation mobile communication technology (5 th-Generation, 5G) network architecture, at the end of 2016.

The 5G network architecture not only supports a radio technology access Core Network (CN) defined by the 3GPP standard group, but also accesses the Core network using, for example, long term evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) technology, radio access network (Radio Access Network, RAN) technology, and the like. And the 5G network architecture also supports access to the core network through Non-3GPP switching functions (Non-3GPP Interworking Function,N3IWF) or next generation access gateway (Next Generation packet data Gateway, NGPDG) using Non-third generation partnership project (Non 3rd Generation Partnership Project,Non-3 GPP) access technologies.

Based on the multiple access technology supported by the above 5G network architecture, a multiple access protocol Data Unit (Protocol Data Unit, PDU) session (which may also be referred to as a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session) is introduced. However, the prior art also relates to the update flow of a multi-access PDU session.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can realize the update flow of a multi-access PDU session.

In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the terminal equipment sends a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to newly add or update a service flow; the terminal equipment receives a response message of the request message sent by the core network element through the first access technology and/or the second access technology; and the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the second access technology or the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment sends the request message through the first access technology in the multi-access PDU session, and requests to newly add or update the service flow, namely, requests the first core network element to allocate transmission resources for the service flow on the access technology of the multi-access PDU session. The terminal device obtains a response message allowing transmission of the traffic stream in the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology, in the multi-access PDU session. The communication method terminal equipment can update the QoS file of a second access technology which does not send the request message in the multiple access technologies in the multiple access PDU session on the basis of the multiple access PDU session, so that the second access technology can transmit the service flow.

In some embodiments, the traffic flow may be a newly added traffic flow, i.e., a traffic flow not included in the original multiple access PDU session.

In some embodiments, the traffic flow may be an updated traffic flow, i.e. the traffic flow is included in the original multi-access PDU session, but the transmission of the traffic flow changes. For example, qoS parameter requirements for the access technology change.

In some embodiments, the multiple access PDU session includes a first access technology (e.g., 3GPP technology) and a second access technology (e.g., non-3GPP technology), and in embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may send the request message through the 3GPP technology or the Non-3GPP technology.

The first core network element may be a session management function (Session Management Function, SMF) network element.

With reference to the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the second access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the service flow; the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or, the response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the first access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology.

With reference to the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, the request message includes first identification information, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the second access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the service flow; the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or, the response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the second access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology.

With reference to the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the service flow; the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or, the response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the second access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the request message sent by the terminal equipment comprises the first identification information and the indication information of the first access technology and/or the second access technology, and the service flow is requested to be transmitted through the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

Wherein the first identification information is used for determining the service flow. When the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology, the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the second access technology. When the response message comprises first identification information, indication information of a first access technology and indication information of a second access technology, the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology. The terminal device can accurately determine which access technology to transmit through based on the correspondence between the traffic flow and the access technology.

The request message includes a first identifier for determining a traffic flow, and the traffic flow is in a stage of requesting allocation of transmission resources because the traffic flow has not acquired the transmission resources. The terminal device carries corresponding identification information, indicating which service flows of the first core network element are the newly added or updated service flows.

The request message includes a PDU session modification request (PDU session Modification Request) message.

The response message may be a PDU session modification order (PDU session modification command) message.

With reference to the first aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the first aspect, in another implementation manner of the first aspect, the first identification information includes: at least one of the description information of the service flow, the quality of service flow identifier QFI or the PDU session identifier.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the present application, the information for determining the service flow included in the request message sent by the terminal device may be different indication information.

The flow description information may further include description information of a plurality of traffic flows, which are referred to as traffic flow templates, and the plurality of traffic flow description information may be referred to as traffic flow description templates. The traffic flow can be determined from the traffic flow description template.

With reference to the first aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the first aspect, in another implementation manner of the first aspect, the indication information of the first access technology is a first access type, and the indication information of the second access technology is a second access type; or the indication information of the first access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a first access type, the indication information of the second access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a second access type, or the indication information of the first access technology and the indication information of the second access technology are QoS rules corresponding to the first access type and the second access type.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the indication information indicating the first access technology and/or the second access technology can be directly the indication of the access type or the indication of the QoS rule corresponding to different access technologies. The access technology passed is indicated in a number of ways.

With reference to the first aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the first aspect, in another implementation manner of the first aspect, the request message further includes: the first indication information is used for indicating the first core network element to modify the access technology through which the service flow passes.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the terminal device may carry the first indication information in the request message, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first core network element that the request of the terminal device may be modified. The first core network element is able to select a more appropriate access technology transmission for the traffic flow. For example, the terminal device requests the service flow to be transmitted through the first access technology, and the first core network element can allocate resources for the service flow on the second access technology to transmit according to the first indication information.

In some embodiments, after the terminal device sends the first indication information to the first core network element, the first indication information may be used to indicate that, in a case where the terminal device requests the traffic flow to be transmitted through the second access technology, the first core network element is allowed to indicate that the traffic flow is transmitted through the first access technology.

With reference to the first aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the first aspect, in another implementation manner of the first aspect, the response message includes a splitting rule, and the terminal device determines, according to the splitting rule, an amount of data transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology; the terminal device transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message, and the method comprises the following steps: and the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the data volume.

With reference to the first aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the first aspect, in another implementation manner of the first aspect, the splitting rule includes an amount of data transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and/or an amount of data transmitted by the traffic flow through the second access technology; or the splitting rule comprises a bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or a bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology; the offload rule includes a ratio of the amount of data or a ratio of bandwidth values of the traffic flow transmitted through the first access technology and through the second technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the first core network element indicates which access technology of the multi-access PDU session the terminal equipment transmits the service flow, and simultaneously indicates the data quantity which can be supported by the access technology, so that the terminal equipment can correctly transmit the service flow on the multiple access technologies.

In some embodiments, the first core network element indicates the amount of data of the first access technology and the second access technology respectively supporting transmission. For example, a first access technology can support data volume transmission for bandwidth a and a second access technology can support data volume transmission for bandwidth B.

In some embodiments, the first core network element indicates a data amount ratio of the first access technology and the second access technology, respectively, supporting transmission. For example, the first access technology can support bandwidth and the second access technology can support bandwidth ratio a/B, if the total transmission amount of the traffic stream is M, the first access technology transmits m×a/(a+b), and the second access technology transmits m×b/(a+b).

In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the terminal equipment sends a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to delete a second access technology in a multi-access PDU session; the terminal equipment receives a response message of the request message from the first core network element through the first access technology, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the deletion of the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is successful.

With reference to the second aspect, in an implementation manner of the second aspect, at least one of a deletion indication and indication information of a second access technology is further included in the request message, where the deletion indication indicates that the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is deleted, and the indication information of the second access technology is used to indicate the second access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment can directly send the deletion instruction to instruct to delete the second access technology. Wherein the request message may comprise indication information indicating the second access technology.

With reference to the second aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the second aspect, in one implementation manner of the second aspect, the response message includes a first identifier and indication information of a first access technology, where the first identifier is used to indicate that a service flow is transmitted through the first access technology, where the service flow is a service flow transmitted through the second access technology when the second access technology is not deleted.

In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that an access network device sends network state information to a first core network element, wherein the network state information is used for indicating the data transmission state of the access network device; the access network equipment receives indication information sent by a first core network element, wherein the indication information comprises a quality of service (QoS) file which is sent to the access network equipment and corresponds to the network state information.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the access network device may also instruct the first core network element to update the QoS file of the corresponding access technology. The first core network element can configure QoS files of the first access technology and the second access technology according to the network state information after the access network device reports the network state according to the self state.

With reference to the third aspect, in an implementation manner of the third aspect, the network status information includes at least one of a load, a bandwidth, a delay, a packet loss rate, or a signal strength of the first access network device.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the network state information reported by the access network equipment can be the data quantity which can be supported by the first access technology at present, or can be the data quantity which can not be supported by the first access technology at present. The first core network element may configure the QoS file of the first access technology according to the information.

In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the first core network element receives a request message from the terminal equipment through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to newly add or update a service flow; the first core network element sends a response message of the request message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology and/or the second access technology; the response message is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit the service flow through the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the second access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the service flow; the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or, the response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the first access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the request message includes first identification information, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the second access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the service flow; the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or, the response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the second access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the service flow; the response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or, the response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the second access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology.

Wherein the first identification information is used for determining the service flow. When the response message comprises the first identification information, the indication information of the first access technology and the indication information of the second access technology, the first core network element indicates the terminal equipment to transmit the service flow through the second access technology, and when the response message comprises the first identification information, the indication information of the first access technology and the indication information of the second access technology, the first core network element indicates the terminal equipment to transmit the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first identification information includes: at least one of the description information of the service flow, the quality of service flow identifier QFI or the PDU session identifier.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the indication information of the first access technology is a first access type, and the indication information of the second access technology is a second access type; or the indication information of the first access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a first access type, the indication information of the second access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a second access type, or the indication information of the first access technology and the indication information of the second access technology are QoS rules corresponding to the first access type and the second access type.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the indication information indicating the first access technology and/or the second access technology can be directly the indication access type or the QoS rule corresponding to different access technologies.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the request message further includes: the first indication information is used for indicating the first core network element to modify the access technology through which the service flow passes.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the response message includes a splitting rule, where the splitting rule is used to determine an amount of data that is transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the splitting rule includes an amount of data that is transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and/or an amount of data that is transmitted by the traffic flow through the second access technology; or the splitting rule comprises a bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or a bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology; the offload rule includes a ratio of the amount of data or a ratio of bandwidth values of the traffic flow transmitted through the first access technology and through the second technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the first core network element acquires policy information of the service flow; the first core network element sending the response message includes: and sending the response message according to the strategy information.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the first core network element can acquire the strategy information from the strategy control function (Policy Control function, PCF) network element, and determine the access technology of the transmission service flow according to the strategy information.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the policy information includes: the data volume transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or the data volume transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology; or, the bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or the bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology; the traffic flow is transmitted via the first access technology and via the second technology as a ratio of the amount of data or as a ratio of the bandwidth values.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the strategy information can be in various forms, and only needs to determine how to transmit the service flow from the access technology.

In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine, according to its network state, the amount of transmission data corresponding to each access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first core network element sends second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to the second access technology, where the second indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, when the first core network element determines that the service flow is transmitted through the second access technology, the first core network element needs to send second indication information to the second access network equipment through the second access technology, and instructs the second access network equipment to update the QoS file of the second access technology, wherein the QoS file comprises the QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow, and the updating of the current QoS parameters of the second access technology enables the updated QoS parameters to correspond to the service flow, so that the service flow can be transmitted. In this case, a response message is sent by the first core network element to the terminal device via the first access technology. The first core network element is capable of feeding back a response message via the first access technology and updating QoS parameters of a second access technology, the second access technology being a different access technology than the first access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first core network element sends third indication information to a first access network device corresponding to the first access technology, where the third indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow; the first core network element sends second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to a second access technology, wherein the second indication information comprises a QoS file, and the QoS file comprises QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, when the first core network element determines that the service flow is transmitted through the first access technology and the second access technology, third indication information is required to be sent to the first access network equipment through the first access technology, and second indication information is required to be sent to the second access network equipment through the second access technology. The access network device is instructed to update QoS parameters of the corresponding access technologies such that the first access technology and the second access technology are capable of transmitting the traffic flow. In this case, a response message is sent by the first core network element to the terminal device via the first access technology and/or the second access technology. The first core network element is capable of updating QoS parameters of the first access technology and the second access technology and feeding back a response message via the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to the second access technology includes: the first core network element sends a second message to a second core network element, wherein the second message comprises indication information of a second access technology and the second indication information, and the indication information of the second access technology is used for indicating to send the second indication information to the second access network device through the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to the second access technology includes: the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises third indication information, indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information and indication information of the second access technology; the second indication information in the third message and the indication information of the second access technology are used for indicating to send the second indication information to the second access network equipment through the second access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology includes: the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a first access technology and the third indication information, and the indication information of the first access technology is used for indicating that the third indication information is sent to the first access network device through the first access technology.

With reference to the fourth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the second access technology includes: the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the third indication information, the indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information and the indication information of the second access technology; the third indication information in the third message and the indication information of the first access technology are used for indicating to send the third indication information to the first access network equipment through the first access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the present application, the first core network element sends the response message to the terminal device through the first access technology may be that the first core network element sends two messages to the second core network element first, the second core network element sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively, or the first core network element sends one message to the second core network element first, and the second core network element divides the one message into two messages according to different access technologies and sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively.

The first core network element may be an SMF network element, and the second core network element may be an AMF network element. In some embodiments, the first core network element sends the response message to the terminal device through the first access technology, where the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, the first message includes indication information of the first access technology and the response message, and the second core network element sends the response message to the terminal device through the first access technology according to the indication information of the first access technology.

In other embodiments, the first core network element sending the response message to the terminal device over the first access technology comprises: the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the response message, the indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information and the indication information of the second access technology, the response message corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the second indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the response message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology according to the corresponding relation.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the present application, the first core network element sends the second indication information to the second access network device through the second access technology may be that the first core network element sends two messages to the second core network element, the second core network element sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively, or the first core network element sends one message to the second core network element, and the second core network element divides the one message into two messages according to different access technologies and sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively.

In some embodiments, the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, where the third message includes the response message, the indication information of the first access technology, and the second indication information, the indication information of the second access technology, where the response message corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the second indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends second indication information to second access network equipment through the second access technology according to the corresponding relation.

In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the first core network element receives a request message from the terminal equipment through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to delete a second access technology in a multi-access PDU session; and the first core network element sends a response message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the deletion of the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is successful.

In some embodiments, the request message carries a first identification, the first identification being used to determine to delete the second access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the first core network element receives the request message through the first access technology in the multi-access PDU session, and deletes the second access technology according to the request message. The first core network element is capable of deleting an access technology of the multiple access technologies in the multiple access PDU session that does not send the request message based on the multiple access PDU session.

With reference to the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, at least one of a deletion indication and indication information of a second access technology is further included in the request message, where the deletion indication indicates that the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is deleted, and the indication information of the second access technology is used to indicate the second access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment can directly send the deletion instruction to instruct to delete the second access technology.

With reference to the fifth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in one implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the response message includes a first identifier and indication information of a first access technology, where the first identifier is used to indicate that a service flow is transmitted through the first access technology, and the service flow is a service flow transmitted through the second access technology when the second access technology is not deleted.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the access technology with the deleted request is carried in the multi-access PDU session. After the access technology is deleted, the traffic stream may be transmitted over the access technology that was not deleted. The method can ensure that even if one access technology is deleted in the multi-access PDU session, the normal transmission of the service flow is not affected.

With reference to the fifth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in another implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, the response message to the terminal device through the first access technology includes: the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a first access technology and the response message, and the second core network element sends the response message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology according to the indication information of the first access technology; or the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the response message, the indication information of a first access technology, the access network resource release message and the indication information of a second access technology, the response message corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the second indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the response message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology according to the corresponding relation.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the present application, the first core network element sends the response message to the terminal device through the first access technology may be that the first core network element sends two messages to the second core network element, the second core network element sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively, or the first core network element sends one message to the second core network element, and the second core network element divides the one message into two messages according to different access technologies and sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively.

In some embodiments, the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, where the third message includes the response message, the indication information of the first access technology, and the indication information of the access network resource release message, the indication information of the second access technology, where the response message corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the second indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the response message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology according to the corresponding relation.

In other embodiments, the first core network element sends the response message to the terminal device through the first access technology, where the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, where the third message includes the response message, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the access network resource release message and the second access technology, where the response message corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology, and the access network resource release message corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the response message to the terminal equipment through the second access technology according to the corresponding relation.

In a sixth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the first core network element receives network state information from first access network equipment through a first access technology; the first core network element configures a QoS file corresponding to the first access technology according to the network state information; the first core network element sends fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology, wherein the fourth indication information is used for indicating the first access network device to update the corresponding QoS file of the first access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the access network device can also instruct the first core network element to update the QoS parameters corresponding to the corresponding access technology. The first core network element can configure QoS parameters corresponding to the first access technology and the second access technology according to the network state information after the access network device reports the network state information according to the state of the access network device.

With reference to the sixth aspect, in an implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the network status information includes at least one of a load, a bandwidth, a delay, a packet loss rate, or a signal strength of the first access network device.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the network state information reported by the access network equipment through the first access technology can be the data quantity which can be supported by the first access technology at present, or can be the data quantity which can not be supported by the first access technology at present. The first core network element may be capable of configuring QoS parameters corresponding to the first access technology according to the information.

With reference to the sixth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in another implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the method further includes: the first core network element configures a QoS file corresponding to a second access technology according to the network state information, wherein the second access technology is an access technology except the first access technology in the access technologies of the multi-access PDU session.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the network state information reported by the access network equipment through the first access technology can be used for indicating the first core network element to configure the QoS parameters corresponding to other access technologies in the access technologies of the multi-access PDU session. And the first core network element updates the QoS parameters corresponding to the second access technology according to the network state information.

With reference to the sixth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in another implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the method further includes: and the first core network element sends fifth indicating information to second access network equipment through the second access technology, wherein the fifth indicating information is used for indicating the second access network equipment to update a QoS file corresponding to the second access technology.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the access network device can be used for indicating the first core network element to configure the QoS parameters of other access technologies in the access technologies of the multi-access PDU session through the first network state information reported by the first access technology. The first core network element may update QoS parameters corresponding to the second access technology according to the first network state information.

With reference to the sixth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in another implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology includes: the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a first access technology and the fourth indication information, and the second core network element sends the fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology; or the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the fourth indication information, the indication information of the first access technology, the fifth indication information and the indication information of the second access technology, the fourth indication information corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the fifth indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the fourth indication information to the first access network equipment through a first access technology according to the corresponding relation.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the present application, the first core network element sends the fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology, which may be that the first core network element sends two messages to the second core network element first, the second core network element sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively, or the first core network element sends one message to the second core network element first, and the second core network element divides the one message into two messages according to different access technologies and sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively.

In some embodiments, the first core network element sends fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology as follows: the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a first access technology and the fourth indication information, and the second core network element sends the fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology.

In other embodiments, the first core network element sends fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology, where the first core network element sends third information to the second core network element, where the third information includes the fourth indication information, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the fifth and second access technologies, where the fourth indication information corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the fifth indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the fourth indication information to the first access network equipment through a first access technology according to the corresponding relation.

With reference to the sixth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in another implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the sending, by the first core network element, fifth indication information to the second access network device through the second access technology includes: the first core network element sends a fifth message to the second core network element, wherein the second message comprises indication information of a second access technology and the fifth indication information, and the second core network element sends the fifth indication information to the second access network device through the second access technology; or the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the fourth indication information, the indication information of the first access technology, the fifth indication information and the indication information of the second access technology, the fourth indication information corresponds to the indication information of the first access technology, and the fifth indication information corresponds to the indication information of the second access technology; and the second core network element sends the fifth finger indication information to the second access network equipment through a second access technology according to the corresponding relation.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the present application, the first core network element sends fifth indication information to the second access network device through the second access technology, which may be that the first core network element sends two messages to the second core network element, the second core network element sends two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively, or the first core network element sends one message to the second core network element, and the second core network element divides the one message into two messages according to different access technologies and sends the two messages to the first access network device and the second access network device respectively.

In a seventh aspect, a communication method is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that an access network device receives a first data packet sent by a terminal device, wherein a fifth identifier is carried in a packet head of the first data packet and used for indicating that the first data packet supports multiple access technology shunting; the access network equipment sends a second data packet to the first core network element, and the packet head of the second data packet comprises a sixth identifier; the sixth identifier is configured to indicate that the second data packet supports multiple access technology handoffs, where the second data packet includes data content of the second data packet.

The fifth identifier or the sixth identifier is used for indicating that the data packet supports multiple access technology splitting, and includes: the fifth identifier or the sixth identifier is used for indicating that the data packet supports a TFCP protocol, or the data packet contains a TFCP packet header, or a sequence number of the data packet.

The first core network element obtaining the data packet according to the sixth identifier includes: and the first core network element analyzes the TFCP packet header or sorts the data packets according to the sixth identifier.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, when the service flow supports packet granularity distribution, the terminal equipment decides to execute the service flow multi-access distribution. And the terminal equipment encapsulates the data packet of the service flow into a first data packet and sends the first data packet to the access network equipment to indicate that the service flow is the service flow supporting packet granularity distribution. The access network device encapsulates the sixth identification information and the first data packet in the second data packet header and sends the sixth identification information and the first data packet to the first core network element, and the first core network element analyzes the TFCP data packet header or sorts the data packets according to the sixth identification in the second data packet header.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, under the condition that the data packet supports the split flow, the first core network element can analyze the corresponding data packet based on the indication because the terminal equipment indicates the first core network element.

In an eighth aspect, there is provided a communication method comprising: the terminal equipment sends a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to add or update a third service flow or requesting to establish a PDU session; the terminal equipment receives the response message sent by the first core network element through the first access technology and/or the second access technology, and the terminal equipment transmits the third service flow or the PDU session through a plurality of access technologies based on the response message.

With reference to the eighth aspect, in another implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the request message or the response message further includes a third identifier and a multiple access technology transmission indication, where the multiple access technology transmission indication is used to indicate that the terminal device requests to determine, for the third identifier, that the third service flow or PDU session is to be transmitted by multiple access technology or encapsulated by TFCP protocol.

With reference to the eighth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eighth aspect, in another implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the third identifier includes: at least one of traffic flow description information, quality of service flow identity QFI or packet data unit PDU session identity.

With reference to the eighth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eighth aspect, in another implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the multi-access transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, or a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication, or a packet granularity splitting indication, the terminal device determines that the data includes a TFCP header based on the QFI, determines that the data includes a TFCP header based on a PDU session to which the data packet belongs, or determines that the data received after the End marker data packet includes a TFCP header based on an End marker data packet.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the form of indicating the data packet to be transmitted in multiple accesses can also be various. The method comprises the steps of determining that data received after an End marker data packet contains a TFCP header based on an End marker data packet, wherein the TFCP header is not carried at the beginning of a service flow, and sending the End marker data packet to indicate that the data behind the End marker data packet contains TFCP when the data packet needs to be shunted. The End marker packet may also identify that the following packets support splitting, and does not limit that the immediately following packets contain TFCP.

The first access technology and the second access technology may be two distinct access technologies in a multi-access PDU session.

With reference to the eighth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eighth aspect, in another implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the terminal device orders the data packets based on a sequence number contained in a TFCP packet header.

In a ninth aspect, there is provided a communication method, comprising: the first core network element receives a request message from the terminal device through the first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to add or update a third service flow or requesting to establish a PDU session; the first core network element sends a response message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology and/or the second access technology, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the third service flow or the PDU session allows transmission of a plurality of access technologies.

With reference to the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the request message or the response message further includes a third identifier and a multiple access technology transmission indication, where the multiple access technology transmission indication is used to indicate that the terminal device requests to determine, for the third identifier, that the third service flow or PDU session perform multiple access technology transmission or perform TFCP encapsulation.

With reference to the ninth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the third identifier includes: at least one of traffic flow description information, quality of service flow identity QFI or PDU session identity.

With reference to the ninth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the multi-access transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity splitting indication.

With reference to the ninth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the first core network element sends a fourth identifier and a multiple access technology transmission indication to a user plane network element.

With reference to the ninth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the fourth identifier is at least one of traffic flow description information, a quality of service flow identifier QFI or a PDU session identifier or an N4 session identifier.

With reference to the ninth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the QFI is used for determining that data of the terminal device includes a TFCP header, or the tunnel identifier is used for determining that data of a PDU session includes a TFCP header, or an End identifier End marker data packet is used for determining that data received after the End marker data packet is received by the terminal device includes a TFCP header.

With reference to the ninth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the ninth aspect, in another implementation manner of the ninth aspect, a sequence number contained in a TFCP packet header is used for ordering the data packets.

In a tenth aspect, there is provided a communication method comprising: the data transmitting network element transmits parameters of the transmission data of the multiple links to the data receiving network element; and the data transmitting network element receives the confirmation information of the transmission data of the multiple links transmitted by the data receiving network element.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, data can be transmitted through a plurality of links.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the sending, by the data sending network element, parameters of the multiple link transmission data to the data receiving network element includes sending, by the data sending network element, the parameters of the multiple link transmission data to the data receiving network element by controlling the sending, by the data sending network element, parameters of the multiple link transmission data to the data receiving network element; or the data transmitting network element transmits the parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links to the data receiving network element through the user.

According to the communication method of the embodiment of the application, the parameters for transmitting the data transmitted by the multiple links can be directly transmitted through the user plane or can be transmitted through the control plane.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the tenth aspect, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links include: identification information of the data and indication information indicating that the data is transmitted through a plurality of links.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the tenth aspect, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, parameters of the data transmission by the multiple links further include: and the first window length is used for indicating the transmission window length of the data transmission network element.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the tenth aspect, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, identification information of the data: at least one of traffic flow description information, quality of service flow identity QFI or packet data unit PDU session identity or N4 session identity.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the tenth aspect, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the indication information includes: at least one of a data flow control protocol TFCP indication, a TFCP encapsulation indication, a packet granularity distribution indication, a fusion tunnel identification or a network element protocol IP address, wherein the fusion tunnel indication is used for indicating that a fusion tunnel is established for the service flow, and the network element IP address is a data transmission network element or/and a data receiving network element IP address.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the tenth aspect, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the data sending network element is a terminal device, the data receiving network element is a user plane network element, or the data sending network element is the user plane network element, and the data receiving network element is the terminal device, or the data sending network element is a session management function network element, and the data receiving network element is the terminal device and the user plane network element.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the tenth aspect, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the acknowledgement information of the multiple link transmission data includes parameters of the multiple link transmission data; or, the acknowledgement information of the data transmitted by the plurality of links includes an acknowledgement message.

With reference to the tenth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner, in another implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the multiple links include a 3GPP link and a non-3 GPP link; or the links specifically comprise links of different access network devices of different access technologies; alternatively, the plurality of links specifically includes links of the same access technology and different access network devices.

In an eleventh aspect, there is provided a communication method comprising: the data transmission network element determines the link state of the first link and/or the link state of the second link; the data transmitting network element transmits a first data packet through the first link and transmits a second data packet through the second link according to the link state of the first link and/or the link state of the second link, wherein the first data packet and the second data packet belong to the same service flow, the first data packet comprises a first TFCP header, the first TFCP header comprises a sequence number of the first data packet, the second data packet comprises a second TFCP header, and the second TFCP header comprises a sequence number of the second data packet.

With reference to the eleventh aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, in another implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, the communication method further includes: the data sending network element determines that a first round trip time RTT of the first link and a second RTT of the second link meet a first preset condition; or the data transmission network element determines that the first link delay and the second link delay meet a second preset condition.

With reference to the eleventh aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, in another implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, the first preset condition includes: the difference value between the first RTT and the second RTT is smaller than or equal to a first preset threshold value; alternatively, the second preset condition includes: the difference value between the first link delay and the second link delay is smaller than or equal to a second preset threshold value.

With reference to the eleventh aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, in another implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, the first data packet and the second data packet are the same data packet.

With reference to the eleventh aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, in another implementation manner of the eleventh aspect, the communication method further includes: and if the split ratio of the first link and the second link in the split strategy is 100%, the data sending network element determines that the first data packet and the second data packet are the same data packet.

In a twelfth aspect, there is provided a communication method including: the data receiving network element receives a first data packet sent by the data sending network element from a first link, wherein the first data packet comprises a first TFCP head, and the first TFCP head comprises a serial number of the first data packet; the data receiving network element receives a second data packet sent by the data sending network element from a second link, wherein the second data packet comprises a second TFCP header, the second TFCP header comprises a serial number of the second data packet, and the first data packet and the second data packet belong to the same service flow; the data receiving network element caches the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet.

With reference to the twelfth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, in another implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, the caching, by the data receiving network element, the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to a sequence number of the first data packet and a sequence number of the second data packet includes: and the data receiving network element stores the first data packet and the second data packet in a buffer area according to sequence numbers according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet.

With reference to the twelfth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, in another implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, the communication method further includes: the data receiving network element determines the state of the data packet in the buffer area.

With reference to the twelfth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, in another implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, the state of the data packet includes a lost state, and the communication method further includes: and if the data receiving network element does not receive the data packet for more than a preset time, the data receiving network element determines that the state of the data packet is a lost state.

With reference to the twelfth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, in another implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, the communication method further includes: the data receiving network element determines the preset time length according to the link time delay of the first link and/or the second link; or the data receiving network element determines the preset duration according to the round trip time RTT of the first link and/or the second link.

With reference to the twelfth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, in another implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, the longer than predetermined time is a time-to-live time, and the time-to-live time is a difference between a current time and the estimated receiving time of the data packet, where the estimated receiving time of the data packet is obtained based on a previous data packet receiving time of the data packet or/and a receiving time of a subsequent data packet, or the starting of the preset time timer is based on a previous data packet receiving time of the data packet or/and a receiving time of the subsequent data packet. Specifically, a preset duration timer is started when a packet immediately preceding the packet is received. Or starting a preset time length timer when receiving the next data packet after the data packet. Or starting a preset time period timer at any time before the previous data packet and the next data packet of the data packets are received.

With reference to the twelfth aspect and the foregoing implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, in another implementation manner of the twelfth aspect, the caching, by the data receiving network element, the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to a sequence number of the first data packet and a sequence number of the second data packet includes: if the buffer area comprises the first data packet and/or the second data packet, the data receiving network element discards the first data packet and/or the second data packet; or if the sequence number of the first data packet and/or the second data packet is smaller than the minimum data packet sequence number in the buffer area, the data receiving network element discards the first data packet and/or the second data packet.

In a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect. In particular, the communication apparatus may be the first communication device of the first aspect comprising means (means) for performing the steps or functions described in the first aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a communications apparatus that can be used to perform the operations of the communications device of the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions described in the second aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

A fifteenth aspect provides a communications apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communications device of the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus including means (means) for performing the steps or functions described in the above third aspect may be the first communication device of the third aspect. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a sixteenth aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions described in the fourth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

A seventeenth aspect provides a communications apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communications device of the fifth aspect and any possible implementation of the fifth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the fifth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

An eighteenth aspect provides a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the sixth aspect and any possible implementation of the sixth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the sixth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

A nineteenth aspect provides a communications apparatus that can be used to perform the operations of the communications device of the seventh aspect and any possible implementation of the seventh aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the seventh aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a twentieth aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the eighth aspect and any of the possible implementations of the eighth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the eighth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a twenty-first aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the ninth aspect and any possible implementation of the ninth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the ninth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a twenty-second aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the tenth aspect and any possible implementation of the tenth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the tenth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a twenty-third aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the eleventh aspect and any possible implementation of the eleventh aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions described in the eleventh aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a twenty-fourth aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus operable to perform the operations of the communication device of the twelfth aspect and any possible implementation of the twelfth aspect. In particular, the apparatus may comprise means (means) for performing the steps or functions corresponding to those described in the twelfth aspect above. The steps or functions may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of hardware and software.

In a twenty-fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory for storing a computer program, the processor being adapted to invoke and run the computer program from the memory, causing the communication apparatus to perform the communication method in any of the possible implementations of the first to twelfth aspects.

The processor is one or more, and the memory is one or more.

The memory may be integral with the processor or separate from the processor.

The communication device further comprises a transmitter (transmitter) and a receiver (receiver).

In one possible design, a communication device is provided that includes a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The processor is configured to control the transceiver to transceive signals, the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to invoke and run the computer program from the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method of the first to twelfth aspects or any of the possible implementations of the first to twelfth aspects.

In a twenty-sixth aspect, a system is provided, comprising the communication device described above.

In a twenty-seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising: a computer program (which may also be referred to as code, or instructions) which, when executed, causes a computer to perform the method of any one of the possible implementations of the first to twelfth aspects described above.

In a twenty-eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, storing a computer program (which may also be referred to as code, or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of the possible implementations of the first to twelfth aspects.

In a twenty-ninth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a memory for storing a computer program and a processor for calling and running the computer program from the memory, such that a communication device in which the chip system is installed performs the method in any one of the possible implementations of the first to twelfth aspects.

The communication method and the communication device provided by the embodiment of the application can realize the update flow of the multi-access PDU session.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary system architecture;

fig. 2 is a diagram of a multi-access PDU session;

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method;

FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method;

FIG. 5 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart diagram of another communication method;

FIG. 8 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a first embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a second embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a third embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic flow chart diagram of a communication method of a fourth embodiment of the application;

FIG. 12 is a schematic flow chart diagram of a communication method of a fifth embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 13 is a schematic flow chart diagram of a communication method of a sixth embodiment of the application;

FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device;

FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device;

FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device;

FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device;

fig. 18 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device.

Detailed Description

The technical scheme of the application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The technical scheme of the embodiment of the application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (Frequency Division Duplex, FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (Time Division Duplex, TDD) systems, future fifth generation (5th Generation,5G) systems, and subsequently evolved communication systems, and the like.

The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a user device, an access terminal, a user network element, a user station, a mobile station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user apparatus. The terminal device may also be a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a session initiation protocol (Session Initiation Protocol, SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (Wireless Local Loop, WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network or a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN), etc., as embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

By way of example, and not limitation, in embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. The wearable device can also be called as a wearable intelligent device, and is a generic name for intelligently designing daily wear by applying wearable technology and developing wearable devices, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothes, shoes and the like. The wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the clothing or accessories of the user. The wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also can realize a powerful function through software support, data interaction and cloud interaction. The generalized wearable intelligent device includes full functionality, large size, and may not rely on the smart phone to implement complete or partial functionality, such as: smart watches or smart glasses, etc., and focus on only certain types of application functions, and need to be used in combination with other devices, such as smart phones, for example, various smart bracelets, smart jewelry, etc. for physical sign monitoring.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment or the access equipment comprises a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), a memory management network element (Memory Management Unit, MMU), and a memory (also referred to as a main memory). The operating system may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processes through processes (processes), such as a Linux operating system, a Unix operating system, an Android operating system, an iOS operating system, or a windows operating system. The application layer comprises applications such as a browser, an address book, word processing software, instant messaging software and the like. Further, the embodiment of the present application is not particularly limited to the specific structure of the execution body of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, as long as the communication can be performed by the method provided in the embodiment of the present application by running the program recorded with the code of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, and for example, the execution body of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application may be a terminal device or a core network device, or a functional module in the terminal device or the core network device that can call the program and execute the program.

Furthermore, various aspects or features of embodiments of the application may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein encompasses a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or media. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, or magnetic tape, etc.), optical disks (e.g., compact Disk (CD), digital versatile disk (Digital Versatile Disc, DVD), etc.), smart cards, and flash Memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-Only Memory (EPROM), cards, sticks, key drives, etc.). Additionally, various storage media described herein can represent one or more devices and/or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" can include, without being limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and/or carrying instruction(s) and/or data.

Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 1 and 2, and relate to a network system architecture and multiple access PDU sessions under that architecture.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system architecture to which embodiments of the present application are applicable. The architecture diagram includes three parts, terminal device 116, access network device 220, and core network device 102. The three parts are described in detail below.

Terminal device 116 may include a variety of possible forms as described above and will not be described in detail herein.

Access network device 220, including access network device 220a and access network device 220b as shown in fig. 1, may be a radio access network (Radio Access Network, RAN) device of a 3GPP access technology and/or a Non-3GPP access network device and/or an access gateway device of a Non-3GPP access technology, collectively referred to as access network devices. The radio access network of the above 3GPP access technology includes, but is not limited to, a Next Generation radio access network (NG-RAN), an LTE network, and the like. The corresponding access network device may be a Next Generation radio access node (NG-RAN) or an evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB). The access networks of the Non-3GPP access technologies include, but are not limited to, trusted WLAN access networks, untrusted WLAN access networks, fixed access networks, and wired access networks. In the WLAN access network, the corresponding access network device may be an Access Point (AP), an N3IWF network element, an NGPDG, or the like.

The terminal device 116 may access the core network using 3GPP wireless technology (5G Core network,CN). The terminal device 116 may also access the core network through an N3IWF network element or NGPDG using Non-third generation partnership project Non-3GPP access technologies.

The system architecture shown in fig. 1 may also support access core network devices for Non-trusted Non-3GPP access technologies. Wherein the Non-trusted Non-3GPP access technology access core network device can be accessed via a Non-trusted wireless local area network (Wireless Local Area Networks, WLAN).

The trusted Non-3GPP access core network device is similar to the untrusted Non-3GPP access core network device. The access network device of the Non-trusted Non-3GPP access technology can be replaced with the access network device of the trusted Non-3GPP access technology, and the N3IWF can be replaced with the trusted access gateway. Or when the trusted Non-3GPP access gateway does not exist, the access network device is the trusted Non-3PGP access network device.

Whether 3GPP access, trusted Non-3GPP access, or untrusted Non-3GPP access, the first core network element (e.g., SMF network element) may be a point-to-point interface protocol, or an architecture employing a servitized interface consistent with the architecture of the 3GPP access core network.

It should be understood that, in the present application, there is no limitation on which access technology the terminal device accesses the core network device, and it may be any access technology of the existing or future access technologies.

In this embodiment, the 3GPP access network device is an NG-RAN, and the non-3GPP access network device is an N3IWF network element.

The core network device 102 is functionally divided into a user plane (User plane function, UPF) network element and a control plane network element function (Control plane function, CP) network element.

The user plane function network element is mainly responsible for forwarding packet data packets, quality of service (Quality of Service, qoS) control, charging information statistics, and the like.

The control surface network element function network element is mainly responsible for terminal equipment registration authentication, mobility management, data packet forwarding strategy, qoS control strategy and the like.

Control plane network element functions the network element can be further subdivided into: an access and mobility management function (Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF) network element, and a session management function (Session Management Function, SMF) network element.

The AMF network element is responsible for the registration process when the terminal equipment is accessed to the core network equipment and the position management in the moving process of the terminal equipment.

The SMF network element is responsible for the core network equipment to establish corresponding session connection when the terminal equipment initiates the service, and provides specific service for the terminal equipment. The service includes issuing a packet forwarding policy, a quality of service (Quality of Service, qoS) policy, etc., to the UPF network element based on an interface between the SMF network element and the UPF network element.

The core Network device further comprises an authentication server function (Authentication Server Function, AUSF) Network element, a unified user Data management (Unified Data Management, UDM) Network element, a policy control function (Policy Control function, PCF) Network element, an application function (Application Function, AF), a Data Network (DN). Network slice selection function (Network Slice Selection Function, NSSF). Network capability open function (Network Exposure Function, NEF). Network function libraries (NF Repository Function, NRF). The AUSF network element is mainly responsible for authenticating the terminal equipment and determining the legitimacy of the terminal equipment.

The UDM network element is mainly used for storing terminal device subscription data.

The PCF network element is mainly used to issue service related policies to the AMF or SMF.

The AF is configured to send application-related requirements to the PCF, such that the PCF generates a corresponding policy.

NSSF is used for network slice selection.

NEF is used to open 5G network capabilities to third party networks.

The NRF is used to select to the network function element.

A Data Network (DN) is used to provide services for user equipment. For example, providing mobile operator services, internet services, web services or third party services, etc.

The embodiment of the application mainly relates to terminal equipment, access network equipment (comprising first access network equipment NG-RAN and second access network equipment N3 IWF) in figure 1, and SMF network elements, AMF network elements, PCF network elements and UPF network elements in core network equipment.

It should be understood that, when the technical solutions of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, the description of functions of other network elements except SMF network elements, AMF network elements, PCF network elements and UPF network elements in the core network device is not involved, and the present application is not limited to the functions of other network elements in the core network device.

It should be understood that the core network device described in fig. 1 may also include other functional network elements, which the present application is not limited to.

Based on the multiple access technology supported by the 5G network architecture, a multiple access PDU session can be established in the prior art, wherein multiple access refers to that the PDU session accesses a core network through a plurality of access network devices, and different access network devices can correspond to different access technologies or the same access technology.

For example, multiple access includes accessing a core network device through a first access network device NG-RAN and a second access network device N3 IWF. Correspondingly, the first access technology corresponding to the core network equipment is a 3GPP access technology or a NG-RAN access technology, and the second access technology corresponding to the core network equipment is a Non-3GPP access technology or an untrusted WLAN access technology.

When the service flow is added in the multi-access PDU session or the service flow in the session is changed, the terminal equipment sends an update request to the core network equipment through the first access network equipment corresponding to the first access technology, and completes the QoS file new creation or update flow of the first access network equipment. Or the terminal equipment sends an update request to the first core network element through the second access network equipment corresponding to the second access technology, and completes the QoS file creation or update flow of the second access network equipment.

The following embodiments take the example that the terminal device sends an update request through the first access network device. For example, the terminal device needs to add the service flow 1 in the multi-access PDU session, and sends an update request to the first core network element through the NG-RAN, requesting to transmit the service flow 1 through the NG-RAN by using the 3GPP access technology. And the first core network element updates the QoS file of the NG-RAN according to the request message. Assuming that the QoS file can support 5 megabits of traffic flow transmission before updating, and that the traffic flow 1 requires 5 megabits of resource transmission, the updated QoS file supports 10 megabits of traffic flow transmission.

It should be appreciated that the above described use of 3GPP access technologies is but one example form. The first access technology is any one of the multiple access PDU session access technologies.

The multi-access PDU session is briefly described below in connection with fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram of a multiple access PDU session.

Access technology 310 (including access technology 310a and access technology 310b shown in fig. 2), where an access technology refers to an access technology manner at the access network side when terminal device 116 and user plane function network element 330 transmit traffic flow data packets in a PDU session.

The access technology 310 may be an access technology through the 3GPP access or the Non-3GPP access described above. The access technology 310 may also be an access technology such as LTE access, NG-RAN access, trusted Non-3GPP access, untrusted Non-3GPP access, WLAN access, and fixed network access. The specific manner of access technology is not limited in the present application, and access technology 310a and access technology 310b may be different access technologies, or the same access technology but different access network devices, respectively.

The user plane tunnels 320 (including user plane tunnels 320a and 320b as shown in fig. 2) refer to user plane tunnels between access network devices to the UPF. Different user plane tunnels 320a and 320b are established between different access network devices and the same UPF. The access network equipment and the UPF allocate respective tunnel identifications and send the tunnel identifications to the opposite terminal equipment for storage. If the access network device 1 allocates the user plane tunnel 320a tunnel identification 1, the tunnel identification 1 is sent to the UPF storage. The UPF allocates a tunnel identifier 2 for the user plane tunnel 320a and sends the tunnel identifier 2 to the access network device for storage. Tunnel identity 1 and tunnel identity 2 are tunnel identities of the user plane tunnel 320a between the access network device 1 and the UPF. The tunnel identity of the user plane tunnel 230b is similar to the tunnel identity of the user plane tunnel 320a, the access network device 2 allocates the user plane tunnel 320b tunnel identity 3, and the upf allocates the user plane tunnel 320b tunnel identity 4. The tunnel identifier 2 of the user plane tunnel 320a and the tunnel identifier 4 of the user plane tunnel 320b allocated by the UPF may be the same or different, and the present application is not limited.

A PDU session refers to a session between a terminal to a UPF. The user plane tunnels 320a and 320b belong to the same PDU session. The access technology 310 is a different access technology for the same PDU session or a different access network device for the same technology for the same PDU session.

In the prior art, a 5G network architecture supports multiple accesses, and can establish a multiple access PDU session.

The multiple access PDU session may enable traffic offloading of different granularity. That is, different access network devices through different access technologies, or different access network devices of the same access technology, may be implemented to transmit different traffic flows. The following description exemplifies different access network devices of different access technologies. For different access network devices of the same access technology, the following description will suffice with the replacement of the access technology with an access network device.

Wherein the minimum split granularity of the traffic flow is the packet granularity. That is, different data packets of the same traffic flow may be transmitted through different access technologies.

In order to achieve packet granularity splitting for the multi-access PDU session shown in fig. 2, it is necessary to encapsulate all traffic flow packets of the PDU session, or add a data flow control protocol (Traffic Flow Control Protocol, TFCP) header to all traffic flow packets belonging to one quality of service flow (QoS flow), or to all packets belonging to the same traffic flow. The TFCP protocol is a user plane protocol layer between the UE and the UPF, and is used for carrying a sequence number of a data packet or for detecting a link state between the UE and the UPF. The present patent is not limited to the protocol type of the above protocol layer, and may be, for example, a generic routing encapsulation (Generic Routing Encapsulation, GRE) protocol or other protocol types. The following description takes the TFCP protocol as an example.

When the multi-access PDU session shown in fig. 2 requires an additional traffic flow or the traffic flow in the multi-access PDU session needs to be updated, the multi-access PDU session needs to be updated. Wherein updating the traffic flow includes a change in a QoS parameter of the traffic flow or a change in an access technology of the traffic flow.

In some embodiments, the terminal device sends the update request for the multiple access PDU session over the first access technology shown in fig. 2. For example, traffic flow 1 is increased. The first core network element distributes the service flow 1 to be transmitted on the first access technology for sending the update request, and requests the first access network equipment corresponding to the first access technology to update the current QoS parameters.

In other embodiments, the terminal device sends the update request for the multiple access PDU session via the second access technology shown in fig. 2. For example, traffic flow 1 is increased. The first core network element distributes the service flow 1 to be transmitted on the second access technology for sending the update request, and requests the second access network equipment corresponding to the second access technology to update the current QoS parameters.

From the above, in the prior art, when the session of the multi-access PDU is updated in the 5G network architecture. Only the QoS of the access network device (e.g., the first access network device) that sent the update request can be updated, and the QoS of the other access network device (e.g., the second access network device) in the multi-access PDU session cannot be updated.

For example, when there is a new traffic flow 1 to be transmitted, the terminal device sends a request message from the first access technology requesting to transmit the traffic flow 1, and correspondingly updates the QoS parameters of the first access technology, so that the first access technology can transmit the traffic flow 1, but cannot update the QoS parameters of the second access technology, so that the second access technology transmits the traffic flow 1. In addition, if a new traffic stream 1 and a new traffic stream 2 need to be transmitted in the first access technology and the second access technology, respectively. In the prior art, update request messages need to be sent in a first access technology and a second access technology respectively, so that a service flow 1 corresponds to an update access technology one, and a service flow 2 corresponds to an update access technology two.

Furthermore, the prior art does not support packet granularity forking. Resulting in that when one side access technology fails to meet the QoS requirements of the traffic flow, the other side access technology also fails to provide transport services for this traffic flow.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, some embodiments of the present application propose a communication method capable of updating a plurality of access technologies in a multi-access PDU session on the basis of the multi-access PDU session.

Other embodiments of the present application may support TFCP encapsulation of multiple granularity, thereby enabling packet granularity forking. The TFCP packages with various granularities comprise TFCP packages with PDU session granularity, TFCP packages with QoS flow granularity, or TFCP packages with service flow granularity or service flow template granularity. The TFCP encapsulation of the service flow granularity or the service flow template granularity only needs to be added in the service flow or all the service flows corresponding to the service flow template, and does not need to be added in each service flow in the same QOS flow.

It should also be understood that the chinese explanation of the PDU and the english full name, the names of the network elements in the core network device, etc. are all defined for convenience of distinction, and should not be construed as limiting the present application, and the present application does not exclude the possibility of using other names instead of the above names in the existing or future protocols.

The following describes in detail the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application with reference to fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. S110, the terminal equipment sends a request message to the first core network element.

The request message requests updating of a multiple access PDU session between the terminal device and said UPF network element, as described in the following case one.

The request message requests deletion of one of the access technologies of the multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and said UPF network element, see the description of case two below.

Case one: the terminal equipment sends a request message to the first core network element through the first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to newly add or update the service flow.

Optionally, the request message includes a first identifier, where the first identifier is used to determine the service flow. The service flow may be one service flow or a plurality of service flows.

The first identifier comprises: at least one of the description information of the service flow, the quality of service flow identifier QFI or the PDU session identifier.

In some embodiments, the terminal device may include a third identifier in the request message and the multiple access technology transmission indication correspondence to the first core network element. The third identifier may be the same as the first identifier and may be used to determine the traffic flow. Or the third identity is the same as the second identity as a PDU session identity (PDU session ID) for determining a PDU session. Or the third flag is a QoS flow flag (QFI) for determining QoS flow. The multiple access technology transmission indication is used for indicating that the terminal equipment requests the third service flow determined for the third identifier to perform multiple access technology transmission or is used for indicating that the terminal equipment requests the third service flow determined for the third identifier to perform TFCP protocol encapsulation. The multi-access transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity shunt indication.

In some implementations, the traffic flow may be understood as a traffic flow that changes in the multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element, or as a newly added traffic flow. The changed traffic flow may be a change in QoS parameters of the traffic flow or a change in access technology of the traffic flow.

In some implementations, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology, and the terminal device requests the first core network element to allocate transmission resources for the traffic flow on the first access technology, so that the traffic flow is transmitted on the first access technology.

In other implementations, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the second access technology, and the terminal device requests the first core network element to allocate transmission resources for the traffic flow on the second access technology, so that the traffic flow is transmitted on the second access technology.

In other implementations, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology and the second access technology, and the terminal device requests the first core network element to allocate transmission resources for the traffic flow on the first access technology and the second access technology, so that the traffic flow is transmitted on the first access technology and the second access technology, respectively.

The first identification information is a service flow description or a service flow template, and all the service flows in the service flow or the service flow template support packet granularity distribution.

It is further understood that the request message is for requesting an update of a QoS file of an access technology in a multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element, enabling the terminal device to transmit traffic flows on the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

Wherein, the multi-access PDU session refers to that the PDU session can access the core network device through multiple access technologies, and one access technology can correspond to one access network device.

In the present application, the multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element is exemplified by two access technologies, and a first access technology and a second access technology of the two access technologies are different for illustration.

It should be understood that the access technology of the multi-access PDU session is not limited to only two access technologies in the embodiment of the present application, and the multi-access PDU session may include more than two access technologies, and each access technology is different.

It should also be understood that the first access technology and the second access technology are different as a specific implementation manner, and may also be that one access technology corresponds to two access network devices. At this time, the "access technology" in the following description is replaced with "access network device", that is, a different access technology is replaced with a different access network device.

In some embodiments, the first access technology is a 3GPP access technology and the second access technology is a Non-3GPP access technology.

In other embodiments, the first access technology is a Non-3GPP access technology and the second access technology is a 3GPP access technology.

In other embodiments, the first access technology is an NG-RAN access technology and the second access technology is a WLAN access technology.

It should be appreciated that the first access technology and the second access technology may be any one of a 3GPP access technology, a Non-3GPP access technology, an LTE access technology, an NG-RAN access technology, a trusted Non-3GPP access technology, an untrusted Non-3GPP access technology, a WLAN access technology, a fixed network access technology, and the like.

In a possible implementation, the request message in step 301 is used to request to add or update a service flow to a multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element.

In one possible implementation, the QoS file for the first access technology and/or the second access technology may be updated. Enabling the transmission of new traffic flows over the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

In some embodiments, the request message carries a second identifier, where the second identifier is the multiple access PDU session identifier (PDU session ID) described above. The PDU session identifier is used to indicate a multiple access PDU session. Because there may be multiple multi-access PDU sessions between the terminal device and the UPF network element, each multi-access PD session has a corresponding session identification.

It should be appreciated that embodiments of the present application are not limited in how the multi-access PDU session identification described above is generated. The embodiment of the application updates the multi-access PDU session based on the established multi-access PDU session.

In a possible implementation, the request message in step 301 includes a first identifier, where the first identifier is used to determine the service flow. The first identity may be a Packet filter (Packet Filters) which may be used to describe the traffic flow and may therefore also be referred to as a traffic flow description, or a service data flow (Service data flow, SDF) template which is a collection of traffic flow descriptions, namely Packet Filter set, and may therefore also be referred to as a traffic flow description.

The first identifier is used to describe the traffic flows described above, i.e. to describe the traffic flows added or modified in the multi-access PDU session. The first core network element may determine the traffic flow according to the first identity.

In some embodiments, the traffic flow description includes a source network protocol (Internet Protocol, IP) address and a destination IP address of the traffic flow.

Optionally, the traffic flow description includes a source port number and a destination port number of the traffic flow.

Optionally, the traffic flow description information includes a protocol type of the traffic flow.

Optionally, the service flow description information includes an application type of the service flow.

Optionally, the service flow description information includes at least one of a source IP address and a destination IP address, a source MAC address and a destination MAC address, a source port number and a destination port number, a protocol type, or an application type of the service flow.

It should be appreciated that the various traffic description information described above is by way of example only, and that the traffic description information may also include other information that can be used to describe the newly added or updated traffic in the multiple access PDU session.

In some embodiments, the request message further includes indication information of an access technology and a first identifier, which are used to indicate that the service flow is transmitted through the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

For example, the first identifier corresponds to an access technology corresponding to the traffic flow. The service flow is determined by the first identifier, and the access technology is the access technology corresponding to the service flow. The first core network element determines the access technology corresponding to the service flow according to the access technology corresponding to the service flow requested by the terminal equipment and/or the offloading policy of the core network.

In some embodiments, the access technology corresponding to the service flow is a 3GPP access technology.

In other embodiments, the access technology corresponding to the service flow is a Non-3GPP access technology.

In other embodiments, the access technologies corresponding to the traffic flows are a 3GPP access technology and a Non-3GPP access technology.

It should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the first access technology is a 3GPP access technology, the second access technology is a Non-3GPP access technology, and when the first access technology and the second access technology are other types of access technologies, the access technologies corresponding to the traffic flows may also be other types of access. For example, LTE access, 5GRAN access, trusted Non-3GPP access, untrusted Non-3GPP access, WLAN access, fixed network access, etc.

In some embodiments, the request message may further include a quality of service QoS rule, where the QoS rule includes QoS parameters required for the traffic flow. The first identifier has a corresponding relation with the QoS rule. When the QoS rule corresponds to the second access technology, the service flow determined by the first identifier is transmitted through the second access technology; or when the QoS rule corresponds to the first access technology and the second access technology, the traffic flow determined by the first identifier is transmitted through the first access technology and the second access technology.

The QoS parameters include at least one of bandwidth, guaranteed bandwidth, maximum bandwidth, qoS class (5 QI)

The sending, by the terminal device, a request message to a first core network element includes: the terminal device sends the request message to the access network device, and the access network device sends the request message to the first core network element.

The terminal device sending a request message to the first core network element through the first access technology includes:

mode one: the first access technology is a 3GPP access technology, and the terminal equipment sends a request message on the 3GPP access technology to request updating of the multi-access PDU session. I.e. the terminal device sends a request message to the access network device via the 3GPP access technology. At this time, the first access network device is an NG-RAN.

The terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element through the first access technology, the terminal device firstly sends the request message to the NG-RAN, and the NG-RAN sends the request message to the first core network element.

Mode two: the first access technology is a Non-3GPP access technology, and the terminal equipment sends a request message on the Non-3GPP access technology to request updating of the multi-access PDU session. I.e. the terminal device sends a request message to the access network device via the Non-3GPP access technology. At this time, the access network device is an N3IWF.

The terminal equipment sends a request message to the first core network element through the first access technology, the terminal equipment firstly sends the request message to the N3IWF, and the N3IWF sends the request message to the first core network element.

The above-mentioned manner of sending the request message by the terminal device is a manner one and a manner two, which are merely exemplary. When the first access technology is an access technology other than the 3GPP access technology described above and the second access technology is an access technology other than the Non-3GPP access technology described above. The sending of the request message by the terminal device to the first core network element through the first access technology may be in a sending manner other than the first and second modes.

The request message includes the first identifier and the corresponding information of the access technology, including the following cases:

first kind: the first identifier and the access technology carried in the request message. The first identifier indicates a new or updated service flow, and the access technology is the access technology corresponding to the service flow.

For example, the service flow 1 corresponding to the first identifier carried in the request message sent by the terminal device corresponds to the 3GPP access technology. In addition, the service flow 2 corresponding to the first identifier carried in the request message sent by the terminal device corresponds to the Non-3GPP access technology. When the first identifier is Packet Filter(s), packet Filter 1 is used to describe traffic flow 1,Packet Filter 2 and traffic flow 2 is described.

And the first core network element determines the access technology corresponding to the newly added or updated service flow according to the first identifier and the access technology carried in the request message.

The terminal device may send the corresponding relationship to the first core network element by including the corresponding relationship in the splitting rule parameter. The branching rule may be an ats rule (Access traffic Splitting, switching, scheduling rule).

Second kind: the request message carries the corresponding relation between the service flow description information and the distribution rule. The distribution rule is a distribution rule which can be sent to the first core network element by the terminal equipment, or a distribution rule which can be sent to the terminal equipment by the first core network element.

The first core network element has established a correspondence between the offload rules and the access technology.

For example, the request message sent by the terminal device carries description information of the service flow 1 and the splitting rule 1. The request message sent by the terminal equipment carries the description information of the service flow 2 and the distribution rule 2.

The corresponding relation between the shunting rule and the access technology established by the network element side of the first core network is as follows: the offload rule 1 corresponds to access technology 3 GPP. The offload rule 2 corresponds to the access technology Non-3 GPP.

The first core network element can determine the access technology corresponding to the newly added or updated service flow according to the service flow description information carried in the request message.

Third kind: the service flow has a corresponding relation with a quality of service rule (Quality of Service rule, qoS rule), an SDF template (Service Data Flow Template) or a quality of service flow (Quality of Service flow, qoS flow), where the service flow is determined by the first identifier carried in the request message.

The first core network element side already establishes the corresponding relation between the QoS rule or QoS flow and the access technology.

For example, the service flow1 determined by the first identifier sent by the terminal device belongs to QoS rule1 or SDF template 1 or QoS flow1; the service flow2 determined by the first identifier sent by the terminal device belongs to QoS rule2 or SDF template 2 or QoS flow2.

The corresponding relation between QoS rule or SDF template or QoS flow established at the first core network element side and the access technology is as follows: qoS rule1 or SDF template 1 or QoS flow1 corresponds to access technology 3 GPP. QoS rule2 or SDF template 2 or QoS flow2 corresponds to access technology Non-3 GPP.

The first core network element determines the newly added or updated service flow according to the first identifier in the request message, and the first core network element knows the QoS rule or the SDF template or the access technology corresponding to the QoS flow. The first core network element can determine the access technology corresponding to the modified or added traffic flow.

Fourth kind: and the corresponding relation between the first identifier carried in the request message and the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

In this embodiment, service flows in the multi-access PDU session may implement service offloading with different granularity. Wherein, the diversion granularity of the service flow comprises: quality of service flow (Quality of Service flow, qoS flow) granularity, flow granularity, or packet granularity, several of which are described in detail below.

1) QoS flow granularity splitting: denoted as different QoS flows may be allocated to different access technologies.

For example, traffic 1 and traffic 2 may have similar QoS parameters, and traffic 1 and traffic 2 may be aggregated into QoS flow1. Wherein, qoS flow1 can be identified by QoS flow ID1 (QFI 1 ); the QoS parameters of traffic flow 3 and traffic flow 4 are similar, and traffic flow 3 and traffic flow 4 may be aggregated into QoS flow2. QoS flow2 may be identified by a quality of service flow ID 2 (QoS flow ID1, QFI 2).

The service flow corresponding to the QFI1 is transmitted on the first access technology; and the service flow corresponding to the QFI2 is transmitted on the second access technology. Or, the service flow corresponding to QFI1 is transmitted on the second access technology; and the service flow corresponding to the QFI2 is transmitted on the first access technology.

The QoS parameters of the traffic flow include: the values of at least M parameters in N parameters of QoS parameters of the service flow are the same or approximate, wherein N is a positive integer, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N.

2) Flow granularity splitting: represented as different traffic flows may be allocated to different access technologies. Wherein the traffic flows may belong to the same QoS flows as described above.

For example, traffic flow 1 and traffic flow 2 corresponding to QFI1 described above. Wherein traffic stream 1 is transmitted over the first access technology; traffic flow 2 is transmitted over the second access technology described above. Alternatively, traffic stream 1 is transmitted over the second access technology described above; traffic flow 2 is transmitted over the first access technology described above. That is, different access technologies are allocated according to different traffic flows, and the traffic flows are not split with QoS parameters.

In some embodiments, the stream granularity splitting further comprises: the SDF module shunts.

The SDF module is divided into a service flow 1 and a service flow 2 as one SDF module 1 according to the flow description information, and the SDF module corresponds to the first access technology; traffic flow 3 and traffic flow 4 act as one SDF module 2, corresponding to the second access technology described above. Traffic 1, traffic 2, traffic 3 and traffic 4 belong to the same QoS flow.

3) Packet granularity splitting: different data packets in a traffic flow may be allocated to different access technologies.

For example, the traffic flow 1 includes a packet 1 and a packet 2. Wherein data packet 1 is transmitted over the first access technology; packet 2 is transmitted over the second access technology described above. Alternatively, packet 1 is transmitted over the second access technology; packet 2 is transmitted over the first access technology described above.

The above correspondence is only an example, and other correspondence of the access technologies corresponding to the service flow determined by the service flow description information is also within the protection scope of the present application.

The above-mentioned traffic stream 1, traffic stream 2, and first and second access technologies are only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application.

In some embodiments, the terminal device sends the first indication information to the first core network element. The first indication is used for indicating an access technology through which the first core network element can repair the service flow.

The first indication information may be sent by the terminal device to the first core network element in a request message;

the terminal equipment requests the service flow description information in the message, and determines that the service flow 1 corresponds to the first access technology according to the request message.

And when the terminal equipment sends the first indication information to the first core network element. That is, when the terminal device indicates that the first core network element can modify the correspondence between the service flow 1 sent by the terminal device and the first access technology, for example, the first core network element can modify the correspondence between the service flow 1 and the first access technology to be that the service flow 1 corresponds to the second access technology.

For example, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element requesting that the first core network element uses the first access technology for transmitting the added or updated traffic flow 1. However, the first core network element determines that the first access technology does not meet the transmission requirement of the service flow 1, and the first core network element may use the second access technology to transmit the service flow 1, and the first core network element changes the request of the terminal device. Or the first core network element uses the first access technology and the second access technology simultaneously for transmitting the traffic stream 1.

For example, the terminal device requests access through the WLAN, but the first core network element determines that the current WLAN network quality cannot provide the terminal device access request. If the terminal device sends the first indication information to the first core network element, the first core network element may allocate the terminal device to access through the NG-RAN.

And a second case: the terminal equipment sends a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to delete a second access technology in a multi-access PDU session;

optionally, the request message carries a first identifier, where the first identifier is used to identify the second access technology.

When the terminal device needs to update the multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element to a single-access PDU session, the terminal device can initiate a request for deleting the access technology at one side from the first core network element.

In some implementations, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element over the first access technology requesting deletion of the second access technology.

The request message includes the second access technology and the first identification of the second access technology is deleted.

In other implementations, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element via the first access technology requesting deletion of the second access technology. The request message includes a second access technology and a first identifier for updating the multi-access PDU session to a single-access PDU session, where the first identifier is a deletion indication for indicating deletion of the second access technology.

In other implementations, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element via the first access technology requesting deletion of the second access technology. The request message includes indication information of a first access technology and a first identifier for updating the multi-access PDU session to a single-access PDU session, wherein the first identifier is a reservation indication for indicating reservation of the first access technology.

In other implementations, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element via the first access technology requesting deletion of the second access technology. The request message is a delete message or a release connection message, and the request message carries the access technology. And when the first identifier included in the request message is the second access technology, deleting the connection of the second access technology side of the multi-access PDU session. And when the first identifier is the first access technology, deleting the connection of the first access technology side of the multi-access PDU session.

It should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may send a request message to the first core network element through the first access technology, to request deletion of the first access technology. For example, the request message does not need to include indication information of the access technology, and the first core network element deletes the access technology of the current transmission request message.

It should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also send a request message to the first core network element through the second access technology, so as to request to delete the first access technology. The application is not limited to which side of the access technology initiates updating the multi-access PDU session to a single access PDU session.

S120, the terminal equipment receives the response message from the first core network element.

The response message is used to indicate that the traffic flow is transmitted from the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology, as described in the following case one.

The response message is used to indicate that the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is successfully deleted, and reference is made to the following description of case two.

Case one: the terminal equipment receives a response message of the request message sent by the core network element through the first access technology and/or the second access technology;

and the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the second access technology or the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message.

In some embodiments, the response message received by the terminal device includes a correspondence between the third identifier and the multiple access technology transmission indication. The corresponding relation is used for indicating that the first core network element allows or authorizes the third service flow determined according to the third identifier to carry out multi-access technology transmission, or indicating that the first core network element allows or authorizes the third service flow determined by the third identifier to carry out TFCP encapsulation. The third identification is a traffic Filter(s) or service data flow (Service data flow, SDF) template or QFI or PDUssification ID. The multi-access technology transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity shunt indication.

Specifically, the above determination of the third traffic flow for multi-access technology transmission may also be a communication method shown in fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. Including S111 and S112.

S111, the data transmitting network element transmits parameters of the transmission data of the multiple links to the data receiving network element.

Case one: the data transmitting network element may be the terminal device shown in fig. 2. And the data receiving network element may be a user plane function (User plane function, UPF) network element as shown in fig. 2.

The parameters for transmitting the plurality of link transmission data to the UPF when the terminal device transmits the plurality of link transmission data to the UPF may be parameters including the plurality of link transmission data in the request message described in fig. 3.

Specifically, the parameters of the data transmitted by the links include identification information of the data and indication information indicating that the data is transmitted by the links. Wherein the transmission data may be the third traffic flow described in fig. 3.

Wherein the identification information of the data may be at least one of description information of the data, a quality of service flow identification QFI or a packet data unit PDU session identification. The description information of the data corresponds to the description information of the service flow, and the description information of the data, the QFI of the qos, or the session identifier of the PDU have been described in detail, which is not repeated here;

The indication information includes: at least one of a data flow control protocol TFCP indication, a TFCP encapsulation indication, a packet granularity distribution indication, a fusion tunnel identification or a network element protocol IP address, wherein the fusion tunnel indication is used for indicating that a fusion tunnel is established for the service flow, and the network element IP address is a data transmission network element or/and a data receiving network element IP address. The above details of the TFCP indication, the TFCP encapsulation indication, and the packet granularity distribution indication have been described above, and it is important to describe here the fusion tunnel indication, the fusion tunnel identifier, and the network element protocol IP address.

It should be appreciated that the above-described TFCP protocol may be a generic routing encapsulation (Generic Routing Encapsulation, GRE) protocol, a multipath transmission control protocol (Multi Path Transmission Control Protocol, MPTCP), an internet protocol (Internet Protocol, IP), a fast UDP network connection (Quick UDP Internet Connection, qic) protocol, an internet protocol security (Internet Protocol Security, IPSec) protocol, or other protocol types, where UDP is a user datagram protocol (User Datagram Protocol, UDP). The application is not limited to the type of TFCP protocol, and any of the protocols described above may be used.

The fusion tunnel indication establishes a fusion tunnel for the transmission data, wherein the fusion tunnel corresponds to a PDU session identifier, i.e. the fusion tunnel is established for the PDU session, or the fusion tunnel corresponds to a QFI, i.e. the fusion tunnel is established for the QoSflow, or the fusion tunnel corresponds to a service flow identifier, i.e. the fusion tunnel is established for the service flow. The corresponding fusion tunnel identifier can also indicate a fusion tunnel.

The network element protocol IP address is the IP address of the data transmitting network element or/and the data receiving network element. The IP address corresponds to the PDU session identifier, namely the PDU session is encapsulated by the IP, or the QFI corresponding to the IP address is encapsulated by the IP for the QoS flow, or the service flow identifier corresponding to the IP address is encapsulated by the IP for the service flow.

Specifically, the parameters of the data transmission of the multiple links further include a first window length, where the first window length is used to indicate a transmission window length of the terminal device. Wherein the first window length may be set to a transmission window length of a transmission control protocol (Transmission Control Protocol, TCP) protocol layer of the terminal device.

And when the UPF receives the parameters of the transmission data of the multiple links, setting a receiving window length value of the UPF. Wherein the receive window length value of the UPF may be greater than or equal to the first window length.

It should be understood that when the terminal device sends the parameters of the plurality of link transmission data to the UPF, the terminal device may directly send the parameters of the plurality of link transmission data to the UPF, or the terminal device sends the parameters of the plurality of link transmission data to the SMF, and the SMF sends the parameters of the plurality of link transmission data to the UPF.

For example, the terminal device sends the parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links to the SMF, and the SMF sends an N4 interface message to the UPF, where the N4 message carries the parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links.

It should be understood that, when the N4 message carries the parameters of the plurality of link transmission data, the identification information of the data in the parameters of the plurality of link transmission data may be at least one of description information of the data, a quality of service flow identification QFI, or a packet data unit PDU session identification, or an N4 session identification.

Specifically, the acknowledgement information of the plurality of link transmission data includes parameters of the plurality of link transmission data; or, the acknowledgement information of the data transmitted by the plurality of links includes an acknowledgement message.

For example, the UPF sends acknowledgement information of the data transmitted by the multiple links to the terminal device, where the acknowledgement information may include identification information of the data acknowledged by the UPF and indication information indicating that the data is transmitted by the multiple links. Or, the confirmation information includes a confirmation message for confirming that the terminal device transmits parameters of the plurality of link transmission data. Optionally, the acknowledgement information may further include a transmission window length of the UPF.

Specifically, the links may be transmission links corresponding to different access technologies as described above, and may be a 3GPP link and a non-3GPP link;

for example, two transmission links are included, the first being a transmission link corresponding to the access technology of 3GPP and the second being a transmission link corresponding to the access technology of Non-3GPP, i.e. data is transmitted over transmission links corresponding to different access technologies.

In particular, the links may also be links of different access network devices of different access technologies;

for example, two transmission links are included, the first is to transmit data through 5GRAN and the second is to transmit data through N3 IWF; alternatively, two transmission links are included, the first being for transmitting data over a W-5GAN (wire 5GAN wired access network) and the second being for transmitting data over a 5 GRAN.

Specifically, the links may also be links of the same access technology and different access network devices;

for example, the data transmission method comprises two transmission links, wherein the first transmission link is used for transmitting data through the 5GRAN device 1 by the 3GPP access technology, and the second transmission link is used for transmitting data through the 5GRAN device 2 by the 3GPP access technology; or, the data transmission method comprises two transmission links, wherein the first transmission link is used for transmitting data through N3IWF1 by the Non-3GPP access technology, and the second transmission link is used for transmitting data through N3IWF2 by the Non-3GPP access technology; alternatively, the same access technology transmits data through N different access network devices, where N may be a positive integer greater than 2.

And a second case: the data transmitting network element may be a user plane function (User plane function, UPF) network element as shown in fig. 2. And the data receiving network element may be the terminal device shown in fig. 2.

It should be understood that, in the second case, the parameters of the data transmission of the multiple links need not be carried in the request message sent by the terminal device to the UPF, and the UPF initiates the multi-access transmission instruction. When the UPF initiates the multi-access transmission instruction, parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links are similar to those of the first case, and will not be described herein. The difference is that when the parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links are sent to the terminal device by the UPF, the first window length is used to indicate the sending window length of the UPF. Wherein the first window length may be set to a transmission window length of the UPF transmission control protocol (Transmission Control Protocol, TCP) protocol layer.

And when the terminal equipment receives the parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links, setting a receiving window length value of the terminal equipment. Wherein the receiving window length value of the terminal device may be greater than or equal to the first window length.

And a third case: the data transmitting network element may be a session management function (Session Management Function, SMF) network element as shown in fig. 1. And the data receiving network element may be a terminal equipment and user plane function (User plane function, UPF) network element as shown in fig. 2.

It should be understood that the parameters of the data transmitted by the multiple links described above may be sent by the SMF to the terminal device and the UPF. For example, the SMF sends the parameters of the multiple link transmission data to the terminal device in a command message, and sends the parameters of the multiple link transmission data to the UPF in an N4 message.

And S112, the data receiving network element sends the received confirmation information of the link transmission data to the data sending network element.

In the case shown in S111, the UPF sends acknowledgement information to the terminal device, where the acknowledgement information includes the parameters of the multiple link transmission data described above. Or, the confirmation information includes a confirmation message for confirming that the parameters of the data transmitted by the plurality of links are received.

Optionally, the acknowledgement information further includes a second window length for indicating a transmission window length of the UPF.

In the second case shown in S111, the terminal device sends acknowledgement information to the UPF, where the acknowledgement information includes the parameters of the multiple link transmission data described above. Or, the confirmation information includes a confirmation message for confirming that the parameters of the data transmitted by the plurality of links are received.

Optionally, the acknowledgement information further includes a second window length for indicating a transmission window length of the terminal device.

In case three shown in S111, the terminal device sends acknowledgement information to the SMF, wherein the acknowledgement information includes first acknowledgement information sent by the terminal device to the SMF, wherein the first acknowledgement information includes the above-mentioned parameters of the plurality of link transmission data. Or the first acknowledgement information comprises a parameter for acknowledging the reception of the data transmitted by the plurality of links in the first acknowledgement message

Optionally, the first acknowledgement information further comprises a second window length for indicating a transmission window length of the terminal device,

in other embodiments, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element via the first access technology. The terminal device receives the response message from the first core network element via the first access technology.

In other embodiments, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element via the first access technology. The terminal device receives the response message from the first core network element via the second access technology.

In other embodiments, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element via the first access technology. The terminal device receives the response message from the first core network element through both the first access technology and the second access technology.

The response message is used for indicating the service flow to be transmitted through the second access technology or the first access technology and the second access technology, and specifically comprises the following cases:

in some embodiments, the response message includes indication information of the first identity and the second access technology, it being understood that the first identity corresponds to the second access technology for indicating that the traffic flow is transmitted from the second access technology. For example, the first identifier is service flow description information, and the corresponding service flow is service flow 1, and when the terminal device has the service flow 1 to be transmitted, the service flow is transmitted from the second access technology.

In other embodiments, the response message includes indication information of the first identifier and the first access technology and the second access technology, which is understood to be that the first identifier corresponds to the first access technology and the second access technology, and is used to indicate the traffic flow to be transmitted from the first access technology and the second access technology. For example, the first identifier is service flow description information, and the corresponding service flow is service flow 1, and when the terminal device has the service flow 1 to be transmitted, the service flow 1 is transmitted from the first access technology and the second access technology respectively.

In other embodiments, the response message includes a corresponding relationship between the first identifier and a QoS rule, where the QoS rule is a QoS rule corresponding to the second access technology, or the QoS rule is a QoS rule corresponding to the first access technology and the second access technology.

Wherein the response message may be a request message instruction information. For example, the response message is a PDU session modification instruction (PDU session modification command) message for instructing the terminal device that the added or updated traffic flows are transmitted over the second access technology or the first and second access technologies.

The response message includes the service flow description information and the second access technology authorized by the first core network element, or the service flow description information and the first access technology and the second access technology authorized by the first core network element.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment sends the request message to the first core network element through the first access technology, and the request message needs to be sent through the first access network equipment. For example, the terminal device first sends the request message to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology, and then the first access network device sends the request message to the first core network element.

Or the terminal equipment sends a request message to the first core network element through the second access technology, and the request message needs to be sent through the second access network equipment. For example, the terminal device first sends the request message to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology, and then the second access network device sends the request message to the first core network element.

It should be appreciated that the terminal device receives the response message from the first core network element via the first access technology and/or the second access technology, and needs to send the response message via the first access network device and/or the second access network device.

For example, the first core network element first sends the response message to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology, and then the first access network device sends the request message to the terminal device.

Or the first core network element firstly sends the response message to the second access network equipment corresponding to the second access technology, and then the second access network equipment sends the request message to the terminal equipment.

Or the first core network element firstly sends the response message to the first access network device and the second access network device corresponding to the first access technology and the second access technology, and then the first access network device and the second access network device send the request message to the terminal device.

In some embodiments, the above-mentioned response message further includes a splitting rule, where the splitting rule is used to indicate that the first access technology and the second access technology support the amount of data to be transmitted, or support the bandwidth value to be transmitted, or support the ratio of the amount of data to be transmitted, or support the ratio of the bandwidths to be transmitted, respectively.

For example, the splitting rule is used to indicate the available bandwidth values of the first access technology and the second access technology, respectively, or the splitting rule is used to indicate the sum of the available bandwidth values of the first access technology and the second access technology and the ratio information of the available bandwidth values of the first access technology and the second access technology.

When the terminal device transmits the service flow on the first access technology and the second access technology, the terminal device can respectively transmit data packets with different bandwidth values on the first access technology and the second access technology in consideration of the bandwidth values which can be supported by the first access technology and the second access technology.

For example, the traffic flows described above support packet granularity splitting, i.e., traffic flows may be transmitted from both the first access technology and the second access technology. The available bandwidth value of the first access technology is a, and the available bandwidth value of the second access technology is B.

Or,

for example, the traffic flows described above support packet granularity splitting, i.e., traffic flows may be transmitted from both the first access technology and the second access technology. The sum of the available bandwidth values of the first access technology and the second access technology is A, and the ratio of the available bandwidth values of the first access technology and the second access technology is a to b. According to the above A and a:b, it is possible to obtain:

the available bandwidth value of the first access technology is a/(a+b);

the available bandwidth value of the second access technology is a×b/(a+b);

and a second case: the terminal equipment receives a response message from the first core network element through the first access technology, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the deletion of the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is successful.

In the embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device requests to delete the second access technology to update the multi-access PDU session to the single-access PDU session, the first core network element needs to inform the terminal device of the deletion result after deleting the second access technology.

In some embodiments, the response message is further used to indicate that a traffic flow is transmitted from the first access technology, wherein the traffic flow is a traffic flow transmitted on a second access technology if the traffic flow is not deleted on the second access technology.

For example, the second access technology currently transmits traffic stream 1 and traffic stream 2. When the second access technology is deleted. Traffic 1 and traffic 2 above need to be transmitted over the first access technology, which has never been deleted. That is, the above-mentioned corresponding relationship between the description information of the service flow 1 and the service flow 2 and the first access technology is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit the service flow 1 and the service flow 2 through the first access technology.

After receiving the response message sent by the first core network element, the terminal device needs to send a response message. For example, the terminal device sends a response message to the first core network element, where the response message is a reply message of the response message. The response message is used for the terminal equipment to confirm the corresponding relation between the service flow and the access technology contained in the response message sent by the first core network element to the first core network element. When the terminal equipment does not carry the corresponding relation in the request message, the terminal equipment sends a confirmation instruction of the response message to the first core network element, and the confirmation instruction is used for indicating that the terminal equipment accepts the corresponding relation between the service flow and the access technology included in the response message sent by the first core network element. The confirmation instruction of the corresponding relation is that the terminal equipment returns the received and accepted corresponding relation to the first core network element.

The first core network element indicates to the terminal device that the second access technology deletion is successful includes the following two ways.

Mode one: and the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information and response information of the first access technology. Optionally, the first message includes third indication information, where the third indication information is N2 interface session management information (N2 Session management information, N2SM information), and includes a QoS file. The QoS file is a QoS parameter corresponding to a service flow transmitted from a second access technology to a first access technology; the first access network device sends the response message to the terminal device. Optionally, when receiving the N2 interface session management information, the first access network device stores the N2 interface session management information.

The first core network element sends a second message to the second core network element, wherein the second message comprises indication information of the second access technology and an N2 resource release request. The N2 resource release request contains a second identifier, namely a PDU session ID. The N2 resource release request is used to instruct the second access network device to release the PDU session resource. The second access network device releases the PDU session resource based on the N2 resource release request.

Mode two: the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises a first corresponding relation between indication information of the first access technology and response information and optional N2 interface session management information, and a second corresponding relation between the indication information of the second access technology and N2 resource release request.

And the second core network element sends a response message and optional N2 interface session management information to first access network equipment corresponding to the indication information of the first access technology based on the first corresponding relation. The N2 interface session management information includes QoS files. The QoS file is a QoS parameter associated with traffic flows that are transferred from the second access technology to the first access technology. The first access network device sends the response message to the terminal device. Optionally, when receiving the N2 interface session management information, the first access network device stores the N2 interface session management information.

And the second core network element sends an N2 resource release request to second access network equipment corresponding to the indication information of the second access technology based on the second corresponding relation. The N2 resource release request contains a second identifier, namely a PDU session ID. The N2 resource release request is used to instruct the second access network device to release the PDU session connection resource. The second access network device releases the PDU session resource based on the N2 resource release request.

Fig. 5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method comprises the following steps:

s210, the access network device sends network state information to the first core network element. The access network device sends network state information to a first core network element, wherein the network state information is used for indicating the data transmission state of the access network device.

In some implementations, the network state information is sent by the access network device to the first core network element, where the first network state information is corresponding to the first access technology, and is used to indicate at least one of a data amount or a bandwidth or a delay or a packet loss rate or a signal strength of the first access technology supporting transmission.

In other implementations, the network state information is sent by the access network device to the first core network element, and is sent by the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology to the first core network element, where the second network state information is used to indicate at least one of a data amount or a bandwidth or a delay or a packet loss rate or a signal strength of the second access technology supporting transmission.

In some implementations, the network state information is a bandwidth value parameter that the access network device may provide for a multiple access PDU session. For example, a first access technology corresponding to a first access network device may provide data transmission with a bandwidth value of a.

In other implementations, the network state information is a delay parameter that the access network device may provide for a multiple access PDU session. For example, if the first access technology corresponding to the first access network device has a delay of 1ms, the first access technology may provide data transmission with a delay requirement greater than 1ms.

In other implementations, the network state information is a bandwidth value and a delay parameter that the access network device may provide for a multiple access PDU session. For example, a first access technology corresponding to a first access network device may provide a bandwidth value of a and a delay of 1ms.

In other implementations, the network state information is transmission resources that the access network device may release the traffic flow. For example, the current access quality of the first access technology does not support normal transmission of traffic flow 1, i.e. the first access technology releases the transmission resources of traffic flow 1.

In other implementations, the network status information is a packet loss rate or a signal strength corresponding to the access network device.

In some implementations, the network state information may be at least one of a load, a bandwidth, a latency, a packet loss rate, or a signal strength of the access network device.

The following takes as an example that a first access network device of the access network devices sends network status information requesting to update a QoS file of an access technology in a multi-access PDU session.

In some implementations, the network state information includes traffic flow identification information indicating traffic flows deleted on the first access technology. It should be appreciated that when only one traffic stream is transmitted over the first access technology, the traffic stream identification information is not required to indicate the corresponding traffic stream.

In other implementations, the first network state information includes multiple access PDU session identification information indicating on which multiple access PDU session the traffic flow was deleted on the first access technology. It should be appreciated that when only one multi-access PDU session is included between the terminal device and the UPF network element, the multi-access PDU session identification information is not required to indicate the corresponding multi-access PDU session.

When the first access technology fails to meet the transmission of the traffic stream. For example, the performance degradation of the first access technology may not meet the quality requirements of the first service. The first access network device sends first network state information to the first core network element through the first access technology, and indicates that resources used for transmitting the service flow in the first access technology are released by the first access network device.

In some implementations, the first network state information is further used to instruct the first core network element to configure a QoS file for a second access technology, the second access technology being an access technology other than the first access technology among access technologies for a multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element. For example, at the time of multi-access PDU session establishment, qoS for the first access technology=10 mega and QoS for the second access technology=10 mega. When the first network state information indicates that the first access technology can only support qos=5 mega, the first core network element configures qos=15 mega for the second access technology.

S220, the access network equipment receives indication information from the first core network element.

The access network device receives indication information sent by a first core network element, wherein the indication information is used for requesting the access network device to allocate QoS parameters corresponding to the network state information.

The first access network device receives fourth indication information from the first core network element through the first access technology, wherein the fourth indication information is used for indicating the first access network device to update the QoS file of the first access technology.

In some implementations, updating the QoS file for the first access technology includes:

the first access network device sets the bandwidth value of the first access technology to be a, and a is smaller than or equal to A.

In other implementations, updating the QoS file for the first access technology includes:

the first access network device sets the delay of the first access technology to x ms, and x ms is less than or equal to 1ms.

the first access network device sets the bandwidth value of the first access technology to be a and the time delay requirement to be x ms, wherein a is smaller than or equal to the A and x ms is smaller than or equal to the 1ms.

In some implementations, the first access network device receives fourth indication information from the first core network element through the first access technology, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the service flow is transmitted from the second access technology, where the service flow is a service flow corresponding to service flow description information, where the service flow description information is information sent by the terminal device to the first core network element through the first access technology, and the first access technology and the second access technology are access technologies of a multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element.

The second access network device receiving fifth indication information from the first core network element comprises:

the second access network device receives fifth indication information sent by the first core network element, where the fifth indication information is used to request the second access network device to allocate a second QoS file corresponding to the first network state information, and the QoS file includes related QoS parameters.

The first core network element may update a QoS file of the second access technology according to the first network status information reported by the first access network device, where the QoS file includes related QoS parameters.

In some embodiments, when the first network state information sent by the first access network device is used to instruct the first access network device to delete the transmission resource of the traffic flow in the first access technology, the second access network device receives, from the first core network element through the second access technology, fifth instruction information, where the fifth instruction information is used to instruct the second access network device to update the QoS file of the second access technology, so that the second access technology can transmit the traffic flow.

For example, when the transmission quality of the traffic stream 1 on the first access technology cannot be satisfied, the first access network device deletes the transmission resource of the traffic stream 1 on the first access technology, and sends the network status information to inform the first core network element. The first core network element needs to set a QoS file of the second access technology, so that the second access technology can transmit the service flow 1, so as to ensure normal transmission of the service flow 1. The QoS file of the current second access technology includes QoS parameters of QoS1, and the QoS1 needs to be updated to QoS2 to satisfy the normal transmission of the traffic flow 1. The fifth indication information sent by the first core network element includes QoS2, and the second access device receives the fifth indication information and can update QoS1 to QoS2.

In some embodiments, the second access network device may send the second network state information to the first core network element. The second network state information includes at least one of a load, a bandwidth, a delay, a packet loss rate, or a signal strength of the second access network device.

As can be seen from fig. 3 and fig. 5, the first core network element needs to process the request message of the terminal device and the indication message of the access network device, and return a corresponding response message, and the communication method in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to fig. 6 and fig. 7.

Fig. 6 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method comprises the following steps:

s310, the first core network element receives a request message from the terminal device.

The first core network element receives a request message from the terminal device through the first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting to add or update a service flow, and the request message comprises a first identifier, and the first identifier is used for determining the service flow.

The first access technology and the second access technology are two different access technologies in a multi-access PDU session between the terminal device and the UPF network element, and the request message is consistent with the request message in the case of fig. 3, which may carry multiple information, and will not be described herein.

The method further comprises the step that the first core network element determines an access technology corresponding to the service flow.

And the first core network element determines that the service flow is transmitted through the second access technology or the first access technology and the second access technology according to the request message and the first core network element strategy. The core network policy is the distribution policy information configured on the PCF or SMF. When the PCF configures the split policy, the PCF sends the split policy to the SMF. Optionally, the rules PCC (Policy and Charging Control) sent by the PCF to the SMF include the above-mentioned splitting policy. The above-mentioned offloading policy includes a traffic flow description (Packet Filter (s)) or a traffic flow template (SDF template) to access technology correspondence, and optionally a routing factor. The access technology is a first access technology, a second access technology, a first access technology and a second access technology, or a multi-access indication. The first access technology and the second access technology or the multiple access indication are used to indicate that traffic flows may be transmitted in either or both of the first access technology and the second access technology. When the split policy includes both the first access technology and the second access technology, a routing factor (routing factor) is also included for each access technology. When the routing factor is set to "NULL/NULL" this means that the amount of data transmitted by the respective access technology is not limited. When the routing factor is a specific value (e.g., a: b), it represents a specific transmission data value, or bandwidth value, or a data amount ratio or bandwidth ratio of each access technology. If the splitting policy contains a flow description 1 or a flow template 1, the routing factor corresponding to the first access technology is a, the routing factor corresponding to the second access technology is b, and the first access technology transmits a/(a+b) of the total data volume or the total bandwidth, and the second access technology transmits b/(a+b) of the total data volume or the total bandwidth. The same split policy information described above may also be configured on the SMF. Alternatively, the PCF indicates the first access technology and the second access technology in the offload policy information, and the SMF determines the routing factor for each access technology based on the network link state.

In some embodiments, the terminal device requests transmission of the traffic stream over the first access technology. If the terminal device allows the first core network element to modify the request, the first core network element allocates a resource transport traffic stream over the second access technology.

In other embodiments, the terminal device requests transmission of the traffic stream over the second access technology. The first core network element allocates resource transport traffic flows over the second access technology.

In other embodiments, the terminal device requests transmission of traffic flows on the first access technology and the second access technology. The first core network element allocates resource transport traffic flows over the first access technology and the second access technology.

Optionally, the first core network element receives a correspondence between a third identifier included in the request message and the multiple access technology transmission indication. When the first core network element supports the TFCP protocol, the first core network element allows the third service flow determined by the third identifier to carry out multi-access technology transmission or allows the third service flow determined by the third identifier to carry out TFCP encapsulation.

And S320, the first core network element sends a response message to the terminal equipment.

The first core network element sends a response message to the terminal equipment through a first access technology and/or a second access technology, wherein the response message comprises the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or,

The response message includes the first identification information, the indication information of the first access technology, and the indication information of the second access technology, and is used for indicating the service flow to be transmitted through the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology.

Optionally, the response message includes a third identification and a multiple access technique transmission indication. The third identifier and the multi-access technology transmission indication indicate that the first core network element allows/authorizes multi-access technology transmission to the third service flow determined by the third identifier or allows/authorizes TFCP encapsulation to the third service flow determined by the third identifier. The third identifier is a service flow description (Packet Filter (s)) or a service flow template (Service data flow template, SDF template) or a QFI or a pdu use ID. The multi-access technology transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity shunt indication.

In some embodiments, the sending, by the first core network element, a response message to the terminal device includes: the indication information of the first/second access technology described below may also be defined as a first/second access technology indication or a first/second access technology identification.

Mode one:

The first core network element (such as the SMF network element shown in fig. 2) sends a first message to the second core network element (such as the AMF network element shown in fig. 2), where the first message includes indication information of the first access technology and a response message;

the second core network element sends the response message to the first access network device based on the indication information of the first access technology, and the first access network device sends the response message to the terminal device.

Mode two:

the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of the second access technology and response information;

the second core network element sends the response message to the second access network device based on the indication information of the second access technology, and the second access network device sends the response message to the terminal device.

Mode three:

the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises a corresponding relation between the second access technology and the first access technology and a response message;

the second core network element sends the response message to the first access network device and the second access network device, and the first access network device and the second access network device send the response message to the terminal device.

Mode four:

the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises a corresponding relation between the first access technology and the response message and a corresponding relation between the second access technology and the second indication information.

The second core network element sends the response message to the first access network equipment based on the corresponding relation between the first access technology and the response message, and the first access network equipment sends the response message to the terminal equipment.

Or when the third message includes a correspondence between the second access technology and the response message or a correspondence between the second access technology and the response message, the second core network element may send the response message to the corresponding access network device based on the correspondence.

In some embodiments, the transmission of the traffic stream over the second access technology comprises:

mode one:

the first core network element sends a second message to the second core network element, wherein the second message comprises indication information of the second access technology and second indication information. The second indication information may be N2 interface session management information (N2 Session management information, N2SM information).

The first core network element sends second indication information to second access network equipment corresponding to a second access technology based on the indication information of the second access technology, wherein the second indication information comprises QoS files, and the QoS files comprise QoS parameters related to the service flow;

Mode two:

the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the corresponding relation between the indication information of the first access technology and the response message, and the corresponding relation between the indication information of the second access technology and the second indication information.

The second core network element sends second indication information to the second access network equipment based on the corresponding relation between the indication information of the second access technology and the second indication information, and instructs the second access network equipment to update QoS parameters of the second access technology, so that the service flow can be transmitted through the second access network equipment.

In some embodiments, the traffic flow transmission over the first access technology and the second access technology comprises:

mode one:

the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of the first access technology, third indication information and response information. The third indication information includes a QoS file, where the QoS file includes QoS parameters related to the traffic flow.

The third indication information may be N2 interface session management information (N2 Session management information, N2SM information) for indicating updating of QoS parameters of the first access technology.

The first core network element sends a second message to the second core network element, wherein the second message comprises indication information of the second access technology and second indication information. The second indication information may be session management information (Session management information, SM information) for indicating updating of QoS parameters of the second access technology.

The second core network element sends third indication information and response information to the first access network equipment, and indicates the first access network equipment to update QoS parameters of the first access technology, so that the service flow can be transmitted through the first access network equipment. Furthermore, the response message is continued to be sent by the first access network device to the terminal device.

The second core network element sends second indication information to the second access network device, wherein the second indication information comprises a QoS file, and the QoS file comprises QoS parameters related to the service flow. And instructing the second access network device to update the QoS parameters of the second access technology so that the service flow can be transmitted through the second access network device.

Mode two:

the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises a first corresponding relation between indication information of the first access technology and third indication information and response information, and a second corresponding relation between the second access technology and second indication information.

The second core network element sends third indication information and response information to first access network equipment corresponding to the indication information of the first access technology based on the first corresponding relation, and indicates the first access network equipment to update QoS parameters of the first access technology, so that the service flow can be transmitted through the first access network equipment. In addition, the first access network device sends a response message to the terminal device.

And the second core network element sends second indication information to second access network equipment corresponding to the indication information of the second access technology based on the second corresponding relation, and instructs the second access network equipment to update QoS parameters of the second access technology, so that the service flow can be transmitted through the second access network equipment.

The first core network element may be further configured to (e.g. an SMF network element shown in fig. 1) send an N4 session message to a third core network element (e.g. a UPF network element shown in fig. 1), where the N4 session message includes a fourth identifier and a multiple access transmission indication; the fourth identifier is a service flow description (Packet Filter (s)) or a service flow template (Service data flow template, SDF template) or a QFI or PDU session ID or an N4 session identifier. The N4 Session and the PDU Session are in one-to-one correspondence. The multi-access technology transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity shunt indication. And the UPF stores the corresponding relation between the fourth identifier and the multi-access transmission instruction, and performs TFCP header analysis on the user plane data based on the relation.

Specifically, the user plane network element UPF determines that the data received by the user plane contains a TFCP header based on the QFI received by the user plane, or determines that the data of the PDU session contains a TFCP header based on the user plane tunnel identifier, or determines that the data received after the End marker data packet contains a TFCP header based on the End marker data packet. The user plane network element UPF orders the data packets based on the sequence numbers contained in the TFCP packet header.

Fig. 7 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method comprises the following steps:

s311, the first core network element receives network status information from the access network device.

The method comprises the steps that a first core network element receives network state information from access network equipment, wherein the network state information is used for indicating the data transmission state of the access network equipment;

in some implementations, the first core network element receives first network state information from the first access network device.

In some implementations, the first core network element receives second network state information from the second access network device.

In some implementations, the first network state information is used to indicate an amount of data or transmission bandwidth that the first access technology currently supports transmission. For example, at least one of a bandwidth value or a delay or a packet loss rate or a signal strength indicating that the first access technology may support the transmission.

In other implementations, the first network state information is used to instruct the first access technology to release transmission resources of a traffic flow, where the traffic flow is any traffic flow transmitted on the first access technology. For example, indicating that the first access technology does not support transmission of traffic flow 1 for quality reasons, the transmission resources of traffic flow 1 are released.

The method further comprises the step that the first core network element determines a QoS file corresponding to the network state information.

And the first core network element determines the QoS file of the access network equipment according to the network state information.

In some embodiments, the first core network element configures a QoS file of the first access technology, e.g., a bandwidth value or a delay value of the first access technology, according to the network state information.

In other embodiments, the first core network element configures a QoS file of the second access technology, e.g., a bandwidth value or a delay value of the second access technology, according to the network status information.

In other embodiments, the first core network element configures the QoS file of the second access technology according to the network status information, so that the second access technology can transmit the service flow corresponding to the resource released by the first access technology.

S322, the first core network element sends indication information to the access network device.

The first core network element sends indication information to the access network device, wherein the indication information comprises a quality of service (QoS) file which is sent to the access network device and corresponds to the network state information.

For example, the first core network element sends fourth indication information to the first access network device through the first access technology, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first access network device to update the QoS file of the first access technology.

In some embodiments, the fourth indication information includes a bandwidth value or a delay value of the first access technology.

In other embodiments, the fourth indication information includes a QoS file of the first access technology after the transmission resource corresponding to the released traffic flow of the first access technology.

For example, the first core network element sends fifth indication information to the second access network device through the second access technology, where the fifth indication information is used to instruct the second access network device to update the QoS file of the second access technology.

In some embodiments, the fifth indication information includes a bandwidth value or a delay value of the second access technology.

In other embodiments, the fifth indication information includes QoS parameters of the second access technology after the transmission resources corresponding to the released traffic flow of the first access technology are included, and the second access technology can support transmission of the traffic flow after the QoS parameters of the second access technology are configured.

It should be understood that the first core network element sends the fourth indication information and sends the fifth indication information. Similar to the sending of the response message to the terminal device shown in fig. 6, it may be that the first core network (SMF) network element sends two messages to the second core network (AMF) network element, the second core network element sends the corresponding access network device,

or the first core network element sends a message to the second core network element, and the second core network element sends the indication information in the message to the corresponding access network equipment based on the corresponding relation between each indication information and the access technology in the message sent by the first core network element.

Figures 3-7 illustrate in detail the functioning of the various parts of the communication system in different embodiments, from the point of view of the functioning of the terminal device, the access network device and the first core network element, respectively.

In this embodiment, the first access network device is NG-RAN, the second access network device is N3IWF, the first access technology is 3GPP access technology, the second access technology is Non-3GPP access technology, and the service flow is a new or updated service flow 1 in the multiple access PDU session for illustration.

Fig. 8 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of the first embodiment of the present application.

In the method of this embodiment, the terminal device initiates the modify PDU session request message through the 3GPP access technology, so that the terminal device can transmit the service flow 1 through the Non-3GPP access technology.

The method of the embodiment comprises the following steps:

s410, the terminal device sends a request message to the NG-RAN, which is a PDU session modification request (PDU session Modification Request) message.

In one possible implementation, the PDU session Modification Request message may be carried in a Non-Access-Stratum transport (NAS transport) message.

The PDU session modification request message may be the request message described in fig. 3. Specifically, the request message includes at least one of a first identification, a second identification, a requested QoS parameter, a requested access technology, or a QoS rule identification. For example, the first identifier is the flow description information of the service flow 1, the second identifier is the PDU session ID, and the access technology is the Non-3GPP access technology. In a possible implementation manner, the request message further includes first indication information that allows the SMF to modify the correspondence between the traffic flow 1 and the access technology. In addition, the corresponding relation between the service flow description or QFI or PDU session identification and the multi-access technology transmission indication is sent.

S420, the NG-RAN sends a request message to the AMF network element

In one possible implementation, the NAS Transport to AMF, NAStransport message contains the request message.

S430, the AMF network element receives the NAS transport message and sends a request message to the SMF network element.

S440, the SMF network element allows the service flow 1 to be transmitted through the Non-3GPP access technology side according to the PDU session modification request message and the SMF strategy, and the SMF updates the QoS profile of the Non-3GPP access technology. The SMF policy includes a locally configured offload rule or an offload rule sent by the PCF. The SMF sends QoS files for the Non-3GPP access technology so that the Non-3GPP access technology can transmit the newly added or updated traffic flow 1. The SMF policy information is obtained from the PCF in a similar manner to the existing medium information transmission, which is not shown in the figure.

After the SMF receives the request message and determines the QoS profile of the Non-3GPP access technology, it needs to notify the N3IWF to update the QoS profile of the corresponding Non-3GPP access technology, and send a PDU session modification response message to the terminal device. The PDU session modification response message includes a correspondence between a first identifier and an authorized access technology, where the authorized access technology is a Non-3GPP access technology. In addition, the message includes a correspondence between a service flow description or QFI or PDU session identifier and a multi-access technology transmission instruction, which is used for instructing the network side to allow/authorize the corresponding service flow or QFI or PDU session to perform multi-access technology transmission or to perform TFCP encapsulation.

The process comprises the following steps:

mode one:

s450, the SMF network element sends a first message to the AMF network element. Wherein the first message comprises a PDU session modification response (PDU session Modification command) message with access technology type set to 3GPP access. The PDU session modification response message includes the corresponding relation between the flow description information of the service flow 1 and the Non-3GPP access technology or the corresponding relation between the PDU session modification response message and the QoS rule 1. The QoS rule1 is a QoS rule on the Non-3GPP side. Further, optionally, a correspondence between the traffic flow description or QFI or PDU session identification and the multiple access technology transmission indication is included. The above-mentioned multiple access technology transmission indication is used for indicating that the data packet of the corresponding service flow or QFI or PDU session supports multiple access technology transmission, or supports TFCP protocol encapsulation, or supports packet granularity distribution.

S460, the SMF network element sends a second message to the AMF network element, wherein the second message comprises the access technology type set as Non-3GPP and N2session management information (N2 Session Management information, N2SM information), and the N2SM information comprises QoS profile configured for the Non-3 GPP.

S470, the AMF network element sends a first N2session request message to the NG-RAN based on the 3GPP access, including a PDU session modification response message.

S480, the AMF network element sends a second N2 session request message to the N3IWF, wherein the second N2 session request message comprises the N2SM information in the S460. For instructing the N3IWF to update the current QoS profile of the Non-3GPP side so that the traffic flow 1 can be transmitted through the Non-3 GPP.

Mode two:

s450, the SMF network element sends a third message to the AMF network element. Wherein the third message includes an access technology type set to 3GPP access corresponding to the PDU session modification response message and an access technology type set to Non-3GPP access corresponding to the N2SM information.

S470, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element sets that the 3GPP access corresponds to the PDU session modification response message according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the NG-RAN, wherein the N2 session request message comprises the PDU session modification response message.

And S480, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element is set to be that Non-3GPP access corresponds to N2SM information according to the access technology type, and N2 session request information is sent to N3IWF, wherein the N2SM information is contained. For instructing the N3IWF to update the current QoS profile of the Non-3GPP side so that the traffic flow 1 can be transmitted through the Non-3 GPP.

S490, the NG-RAN sends a PDU session modification response message to the terminal device. The PDU session modification response message includes a correspondence between the flow description information of the service flow 1 and the Non-3GPP or a correspondence between the flow description information and the QoS rule, where the correspondence is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit the newly added service flow 1 from the Non-3 GPP. In addition, the PDU session modification response message contains a traffic flow description or QFI or PDU session identity in correspondence with the multiple Access technology transmission indication. The above-mentioned multiple access technology transmission indication is used for indicating that the data packet of the corresponding service flow or QFI or PDU session supports multiple access technology transmission, or supports TFCP protocol encapsulation, or supports packet granularity distribution.

S491, the NG-RAN sends N2 session reply message to the AMF network element. Indicating that the NG-RAN successfully received the N2 session request message.

S492, the terminal device sends PDU session modification response reply message to the SMF network element. Indicating that the terminal device successfully completes the update request.

S493, the SMF network element sends an N4 session new or update request message to the UPF network element to determine that the PDU session has been modified. Optionally, the N4 session new or update request message contains a corresponding relationship between at least one of a service flow description or a service flow template or a QFI or PDU session ID or an N4 session identifier and a multiple access technology transmission instruction. The above-mentioned multi-access technology transmission indication is used for indicating that the corresponding service flow or the service flow template or the data packet of the QFI or PDU conversation supports multi-access technology transmission, or supports TFCP protocol encapsulation, or supports packet granularity distribution.

It should be understood that fig. 8 is only a specific embodiment, and the above-mentioned adding the service flow 1 and sending the request message from the 3GPP are only by way of example, and not limiting the scope of the present application. For example, the access technology of the session may be updated when the service flow 1 in the original multi-access PDU session is changed. A request message may also be sent from Non-3GPP requesting to update the QoS profile of 3 GPP.

Fig. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a terminal device initiating a request message from 3GPP to update Non-3GPP, and a flow of an access network device initiating an update of an access technology in a multiple access PDU session is briefly described below in connection with fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a second embodiment of the present application.

In the method of the embodiment, the NG-RAN initiates a Non-3GPP modification request message in the multi-access PDU session through the 3GPP, so that the Non-3GPP can transmit the schematic diagram of the deleted service flow 1 on the 3 GPP.

S510, the NG-RAN sends a request message to the AMF network element, where the request message is an N2 request message, for example, the quality of the 3GPP is reduced, and normal transmission of the service flow 1 cannot be supported, and the N2 request message includes resources of the 3GP P side transmission service flow 1 released by the NG-RAN.

S520, the AMF network element informs the SMF network element of the state change of the NG-RAN access network device.

S530, the SMF network element sends N2SM information to the N3IWF, wherein the N3IWF carries updated QoS files of Non-3 GPP. Enabling Non-3GPP to transmit the traffic flow 1. And, the QoS file of the non-3GPP side is configured based on the QoS parameter of the 3GPP transmission service flow 1 released by the NG-RAN.

The SMF network element updates QoS profiles of the Non-3GPP side and the 3GPP side, and the QoS profile comprises a QoS profile which needs to inform the N3IWF to modify the corresponding Non-3GPP, and informs the NG-RAN to modify the corresponding 3 GPP. The process comprises the following steps:

Mode one:

s540, the SMF network element sends a first message to the AMF network element. The first message includes an access technology type set to 3GPP access, and optionally, a PDU session modification response message and a first update message, where the first update message is first N2session management information (N2 Session Management information, N2SM information), and the first SM information includes a QoS profile configured for 3 GPP.

S550, the SMF sends a second message to the AMF, where the second message includes an access technology type set to be Non-3GPP access, and an optional PDU session modification response message and a second update message, where the second update message is second N2session management information (N2 Session Management information, N2SM information), and the second N2SM information includes a QoS profile configured for Non-3 GPP.

It should be understood that the PDU session modification response message exists only in S540 or S550. For example, when the PDU session modification response message is included in S540, the PDU session modification response message is not included in S550.

S560, the AMF network element sends a first N2SM information to the NG-RAN. For instructing the NG-RAN to update the current QoS parameters of the 3 GPP.

S570, the AMF network element sends a second N2SM information to the N3 IWF. For instructing the N3IWF to update the current QoS parameters of the Non-3GPP so that the traffic flow 1 can be transmitted through the Non-3 GPP.

It should be understood that receiving the PDU session modification response message NG-RAN or N3IWF continues transmitting the PDU session modification response message to the terminal device.

Mode two:

s540, the SMF network element sends a third message to the AMF network element. Wherein the third message includes an access technology type set to 3gpp atcess corresponding to the first N2SM information and an access technology type set to Non-3gpp atcess corresponding to the second N2SM information. Further, the PDU session modification response message corresponds to a 3GPP access or to a non-3GPP access.

S560, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element is set to be that the 3GPP access corresponds to the first N2SM information according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the NG-RAN, wherein the N2 session request message comprises the first N2SM information. If the PDU session modification response message corresponds to the 3GPP access, the N2 session request message also contains the PDU session modification response message.

S570, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element sets that the Non-3GPP access corresponds to the second N2SM information according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the N3IWF, wherein the N2 session request message comprises the second N2SM information. For instructing the N3IWF to update the current QoS parameters of the Non-3GPP so that the traffic flow 1 can be transmitted through the Non-3 GPP. If the PDU session modifying response message corresponds to the non-3GPP access, the N2 session request message also comprises the PDU session modifying response message.

S580, the N3IWF sends an N2 session reply message to the AMF network element for replying to the N2 session request message, indicating that the QoS parameters of the Non-3GPP have been updated.

S590, the NG-RAN network element sends an N2 session reply message to the AMF network element, wherein the N2 session reply message is used for replying to the N2 session request message, and indicates that the QoS parameters of the 3GPP are updated.

S591, the SMF network element sends an N4 session new or modification message to the UPF network element to determine that the multi-access PDU session has been modified.

Fig. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a request message for a terminal device to initiate an update of Non-3GPP from 3GPP, and a flow for a terminal device to initiate request messages for an update of 3GPP and Non-3GPP from 3GPP is briefly described below with reference to fig. 10.

Fig. 10 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a third embodiment of the present application.

In the method of this embodiment, the terminal device initiates the PDU session modification request message through the 3GPP technology, so that in the case that the traffic flow 1 supports packet offloading, the terminal device can simultaneously transmit the schematic diagram of the traffic flow 1 through the 3GPP technology and the Non-3GPP technology.

S610, the terminal device sends a request message to the NG-RAN through the 3GPP, the request message being a PDU session modification request message (PDU session Modification Request). The PDU session Modification Request may be carried in a NAS transport message.

Wherein the multi-access PDU session modification request message is the request message described in fig. 3. Specifically, the request message includes a PDU session ID, flow description information of the service flow 1, a requested QoS parameter, a correspondence between the service flow 1 and the requested 3GPP access technology and the Non-3GPP access technology, or a correspondence between the service flow 1 and the requested QoS rule 1. The QoS rule1 is applicable to the 3GPP access technology and the Non-GPP access technology.

S620, the NG-RAN sends the NAS transport message to the AMF network element, which includes a PDU session modification request message.

S630, the AMF network element receives the NAS tan spin message and sends the PDU session modification request message to the SMF network element. Network element

S640, the SMF network element determines that the service flow 1 can be transmitted at the 3GPP and Non-3GPP sides according to the PDU session modification request message and the first core network element policy, and the SMF updates QoS profiles of the 3GPP and Non-3 GPP. In addition, the SMF determines a routing factor according to at least one of a offloading policy issued by the PCF or according to a local policy or according to network states of both sides, i.e. determines a 3GPP access technology and its routing factor a, and a Non-3GPP access technology and its routing factor b. For example, according to the requirement of the service flow 1 for the QoS file, the QoS files of the 3GPP side and the Non-3GPP side are set, so that the 3GPP and the Non-3GPP access technologies can simultaneously transmit the newly added service flow 1. The specific includes that the guaranteed bandwidth required by the service flow 1 is a, the routing factors of the 3GPP side and the Non-3GPP access technology side are a: b, the guaranteed bandwidth in the QoS file of the 3GPP access technology side is a/(a+b), and the guaranteed bandwidth in the QoS file of the Non-3GPP access technology side is a/(a+b).

After the SMF network element receives the PDU session modification request message and determines the QoS profiles of the 3GPP access technology and the Non-3GPP access technology, the NG-RAN and the N3IWF need to be notified to modify the QoS profiles of the corresponding 3GPP side and Non-3GPP side and a PDU session modification response message is provided for the terminal equipment. The PDU session modification response message contains the corresponding relation between the first identifier, the first access technology and the second access instruction. Further, optionally, at least one of the routing factor of the first access technology and the routing factor of the second access technology is included. The routing factor may be set to null or a specific value a: b. The process comprises the following steps:

mode one:

s650, the SMF network element sends a first message to the AMF network element. Wherein the first message includes an access technology type set to 3GPP access, a PDU session modification response message (PDU session Modification command), and first update information, which may be first N2session management information (N2 Session Management information, N2SM information).

S660, the SMF network element sends a first message to the AMF network element. Wherein the first message includes an access technology type set to Non-3GPP access and second update information, which may be second N2session management information (N2 Session Management information, N2SM information).

It should be appreciated that PDU session Modification command described above may be carried in the first message and/or the second message, here by way of example in the first message.

S670, the AMF network element sends an N2 session request message to the NG-RAN, wherein the N2 session request message comprises first update information and PDU session modification response message. For indicating that the NG-RAN updates the corresponding QoS profile of the 3GPP side, the PDU session modification response has been transmitted to the terminal device.

S680, the AMF network element sends an N2 session request message to the N3IWF, which contains the second update information. And the QoS profile of the Non-3GPP side corresponding to the N3IWF update is indicated.

Mode two:

s650, the SMF network element sends a third message to the AMF network element. Wherein the third message includes an access technology type set to correspond to the first update information and the PDU session modification response message, and an access technology type set to correspond to the Non-3GPP access to the second update information.

And S670, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element sets that the 3GPP access corresponds to the first updating information and the PDU session modification response message according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the NG-RAN, wherein the N2 session request message comprises the first updating information and the PDU session modification response message. For instructing the NG-RAN to update the 3GPP current QoS file so that traffic flow 1 can be transmitted by the 3 GPP. And instructing the NG-RAN to send a PDU session modification response message to the terminal device.

S680, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element sets that the Non-3GPP access corresponds to the second updating information according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the N3 IWF. For instructing the N3IWF to update the current QoS file of the Non-3GPP so that the traffic flow 1 can be transmitted through the Non-3 GPP.

S690, the NG-RAN sends the PDU session modification response message to the terminal device. The PDU session modification response message includes a correspondence between the flow description of the service flow 1 and the 3GPP access technology and the Non-3GPP access technology or a correspondence between the flow description of the service flow 1 and QoS rule1, wherein the QoS rule1 is a QoS rule applicable to the 3GPP side and the Non-3GPP side. The correspondence is used for indicating the new added service flow 1 of the terminal equipment to be transmitted from the 3GPP and the Non-3 GPP. In addition, the method also comprises the corresponding relation between the flow description or QFI or PDU session ID and the multi-access transmission indication. The multi-access transmission instruction is used for instructing the network side to allow the corresponding data packet of the service flow or QoS flow or PDU session to carry out multi-access technology transmission or TFCP encapsulation.

S691, the NG-RAN sends an N2 session reply message to the AMF network element. Indicating that the NG-RAN successfully received the N2 session request message.

S692, the terminal device sends a PDU session modification response acknowledgement message to the SMF network element. Indicating that the terminal device successfully completes the update request.

S693, the SMF network element sends an N4 session new or modification request message to the UPF network element to determine that the PDU session has been modified. The message carries the corresponding relation between the flow description or the flow template or the QFI or the PDUssification ID or the N4 session identification and the multi-access technology transmission indication. The multiple access technology transmission indication is a flow control protocol (Traffic flow control policy, TFCP) indication, or a packet granularity split indication. The above parameters are used to indicate that the packet support of the service flow or QoS flow or PDU session corresponding to the user plane function network element UPF is transmitted in multiple access technology, or the network element supports TFCP header encapsulation.

And S694, the terminal equipment transmits uplink data to the NG-RAN. The terminal device sends a service flow data packet to the NG-RAN at the user plane.

It should be appreciated that the NG-RAN described above is an example form, and the access network device may be a NG-RAN on the 3GPP side or an N3IWF on the Non-3GPP side, or a trusted access gateway or fixed network access gateway device (Access Gateway Function, AGF), etc.

Traffic flow 1 supports packet granularity offload, i.e., traffic flow 1 may be transmitted from multiple access technologies. Service flow 1 supports TFCP encapsulation, i.e. all packets of service flow 1 carry a TFCP header.

The packet granularity splitting or the execution granularity of the TFCP protocol encapsulation is three, namely, the service flow granularity, the QoS flow granularity or the PDU session granularity. The granularity of the service flow indicates that all data packets of the related service flow are subjected to packet granularity splitting or TFCP protocol header encapsulation. QoS flow granularity means that all data flows of the relevant QoS flow are packet granularity split or TFCP protocol header encapsulated. The PDU session granularity indicates that all data streams in the related PDU session are packet granularity forked or TFCP protocol header encapsulated. The three execution granularities are described below:

Performing granularity one: packet granularity splitting or TFCP protocol header encapsulation for traffic flow granularity

In some embodiments, the terminal device decides to perform multi-access splitting of traffic 1, and the terminal device encapsulates the packet of traffic 1 in the TFCP header. In addition, for the data packet subjected to the TFCP header encapsulation, the terminal device transmits TFCP indication information to the NG-RAN. The TFCP indication information indicates that the packet of the service flow 1 is encapsulated with a TFCP header, or the upper layer protocol of the TFCP indication information indicates that the packet is a TFCP protocol.

In other embodiments, the terminal device decides to perform multi-access offloading of traffic flow 1, and then sends the sequence number of the packet of traffic flow 1 to the NG-RAN. The sequence number may indicate the order of the data packets in traffic stream 1.

For example, the service flow 1 includes a data packet 1 and a data packet 2, where the sequence of the data packet 1 is the first data packet, the sequence number 1 of the data packet 1 is sent to the NG-RAN, and the sequence of the data packet 2 is the second data packet, the sequence number 2 of the data packet 2 is sent to the NG-RAN. Thus, even if the data packet 1 and the data packet 2 are transmitted through different access technologies, the data packet 2 is successfully transmitted first, and then the data packet 1 is successfully transmitted, and the receiving data end can determine the sequence of the data packet according to the sequence number of the data packet, so that the service flow 1 can be correctly received.

It should be understood that before the terminal device sends the data packet, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element requesting that the data packet be transmitted over the multiple access technology. The request message includes a correspondence between a third identifier and a multi-access transmission indication, where the third identifier is used to determine a service flow for packet granularity distribution or TFCP protocol header encapsulation, and the multi-access transmission indication is used to indicate that the service flow supports transmission of multiple access technologies.

The multi-access transmission indication may be a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity distribution indication.

And S695, the NG-RAN sends the data packet.

In some embodiments, the NG-RAN sends the packet and a TFCP indication to the UPF. Specifically, after the NG-RAN obtains the TFCP indication, the NG-RAN adds the TFCP indication to the packet header sent to the UPF. The UPF knows that the upper layer protocol of the protocol layer is a TFCP protocol based on the TFCP indication, or the UPF knows that the inner layer data packet is encapsulated by the TFCP based on the TFCP indication. Subsequent UPFs will parse the packet according to the TFCP protocol.

In other embodiments, the NG-RAN sends the packet and the packet sequence number to the UPF. Specifically, after the access network device obtains the data packet sequence number, the NG-RAN adds the data packet sequence number to the message header sent to the UPF, and sends the data packet sequence number to the UPF. The UPF reorders the packets based on the sequence numbers described above to properly parse the traffic flow 1.

It should be understood that, in the embodiments of the present application described in S694 and S695 by taking uplink data as an example, when a service flow supports packet granularity splitting, a multi-access splitting indication needs to be added to an uplink message to indicate that the service flow performs packet granularity splitting. The downstream data is similar to the upstream data and will not be described again here.

Performing granularity II: packet granularity splitting or TFCP header encapsulation for QoS flow granularity

And S694, the terminal equipment transmits uplink data to the NG-RAN. The terminal device sends a service flow data packet to the NG-RAN at the user plane. And the terminal equipment sends the QoS flow identifier, namely QFI, to which the data packet belongs to the NG-RAN.

And S695, the NG-RAN sends the data packet.

The NG-RAN sends the data packet to the UPF and simultaneously sends QFI to the UPF. Specifically, after the NG-RAN obtains the QFI, the NG-RAN adds the QFI to the packet header sent to the UPF. The UPF knows that the upper layer protocol of the protocol layer is a TFCP protocol based on QFI, or the UPF knows that the inner layer data packet is encapsulated by a TFCP protocol head based on QFI. The subsequent UPF analyzes the data packet according to the TFCP protocol, specifically, the UPF obtains the sequence number of the data packet in the TFCP protocol header, and performs data packet sequencing based on the sequence number.

The downstream data is similar to the upstream data and will not be described again here.

It should be understood that before the terminal device sends the data packet, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element requesting that the data packet be transmitted over the multiple access technology. The request message comprises a corresponding relation between the third identifier and the multi-access transmission indication. The third flag is QoS flow flag QFI. The multi-access transmission indication may be a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity split indication. And the third identifier is used for determining QoS flow for packet granularity distribution or TFCP header encapsulation, and the multi-access transmission indication is used for indicating that all the service flows of the QoS flow support multiple access technology transmission.

Performing granularity three: packet granularity splitting or TFCP protocol header encapsulation for PDU session granularity

And S694, the terminal equipment transmits uplink data to the NG-RAN. The terminal device sends a service flow data packet to the NG-RAN at the user plane. And the terminal equipment sends the data packet to the NG-RAN on the access side connection corresponding to the PDU session to which the terminal equipment belongs.

And S695, the NG-RAN sends the data packet.

The NG-RAN sends the packet to the UPF. Specifically, the NG-RAN sends the data packet to the UPF on the user plane tunnel corresponding to the PDU session to which the data packet belongs. The UPF identifies the PDU session to which the data packet belongs based on the tunnel identifier, and determines the upper layer protocol as the TFCP protocol based on the PDU session, or the UPF learns that the inner layer data packet passes through the TFCP encapsulation based on the PDU session. The subsequent UPF analyzes the data packet according to the TFCP protocol, specifically, the UPF obtains the sequence number of the data packet in the TFCP protocol header, and performs data packet sequencing based on the sequence number.

It should be understood that before the terminal device sends the data packet, the terminal device sends a request message to the first core network element requesting that the data packet be transmitted over the multiple access technology. The request message comprises a corresponding relation between the third identifier and the multi-access transmission indication. The third identity is a PDU session identity (PDU session ID). The multi-access transmission indication may be a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication or a packet granularity split indication. Wherein the third identifier is used for determining a PDU session for packet granularity splitting or TFCP protocol header encapsulation, and the multi-access transmission indicator is used for indicating that all traffic flows of the PDU session support multiple access technology transmissions.

Fig. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a request message from the 3GPP to update the Non-3GPP by the RAN, and a brief description of the flow of the RAN from the 3GPP to update the 3GPP and the Non-3GPP is provided below in connection with fig. 11.

Fig. 11 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a fourth embodiment of the present application.

In the method of this embodiment, the NG-RAN initiates a network status report from the 3GPP technology side for updating the schematics of the 3GPP and Non-3 GPP.

S710, the NG-RAN sends network state information to the AMF network element. And the network connection state is used for indicating the current network connection state of the 3GPP side corresponding to the NG-RAN. For example, it may be at least one of a bandwidth value or a delay value, or a packet loss rate or a signal strength of the NG-RAN supporting transmission.

S720, the AMF network element transmits the network state information to the SMF network element.

After the SMF network element receives the first network state information. The session management function network element needs to modify the QoS files of the 3GPP and Non-3GPP according to the first network state information and notify the NG-RAN and the N3IWF. The process comprises the following steps:

mode one:

s730, the SMF sends a first message to the AMF network element, where the first message includes an access technology type set to 3GPP access, and a first update message, where the first update message is first N2session management information (N2 Session Management information, N2SM information), and the first N2SM information includes a QoS profile configured for 3GPP based on the first network state information.

S740, the SMF sends a second message to the AMF network element, where the second message includes an access technology type set to be Non-3GPP access, and a second update message, where the second update message is second N2session management information (Session Management information, N2SM information), and the second N2SM information includes a QoS profile configured for Non-3 GPP. The second N2SM information includes a QoS profile configured for the non-3GPP based on the first network status information.

It should be appreciated that the PDU session modification response (PDU session Modification command) may also be carried in the first message or the second message. The message carries the corresponding relation between the service flow and the first access technology and the second access technology. And a routing factor corresponding to each access technology. The routing factor is set based on the first network state information.

S750, the AMF network element sends a first N2SM information to the NG-RAN. For instructing the NG-RAN to update the 3GPP current QoS file.

S760, the AMF network element sends a second N2SM information to the N3 IWF. For instructing the N3IWF to update the current QoS file of the Non-3 GPP.

It should be appreciated that the PDU session modification response (PDU session Modification command) is sent to the UE by the NG-RAN or N3 IWF.

Mode two:

s730, the SMF network element sends a third message to the AMF network element. Wherein the third message includes an access technology type set to 3GPP access corresponding to the first N2SM information and an access technology type set to Non-3GPP access corresponding to the second N2SM information. It should be appreciated that the PDU session modification response (PDU session Modification command) may also correspond to a 3GPP access or non-3 GPPaccess. The message carries the corresponding relation between the service flow and the first access technology and the second access technology. And a routing factor corresponding to each access technology. The routing factor is set based on the first network state information.

S750, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element is set to be that the 3GPP access corresponds to the first N2SM information according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the NG-RAN, wherein the N2 session request message comprises the first N2SM information.

S760, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element sets that the Non-3GPP access corresponds to the second N2SM information according to the access technology type, and sends an N2 session request message to the N3IWF, wherein the N2 session request message comprises the second N2SM information.

S770, the N3IWF sends an N2 session reply message to the AMF network element for indicating that the QoS file of the Non-3GPP has been updated as a reply to the N2 session request message.

S780, the NG-RAN network element sends an N2 session reply message to the AMF network element, for indicating that the QoS file of the 3GPP has been updated as a reply to the N2 session request message.

S790, the SMF network element sends a session modification message to the UPF network element to determine that the multi-access PDU session has been modified.

Fig. 8 illustrates an embodiment in which a terminal device initiates a request message to update a second access technology from a first access technology, and a flow in which the terminal device initiates a request message to delete the second access technology from the first access technology is briefly described below in connection with fig. 12.

Fig. 12 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a fifth embodiment of the present application.

In the method of this embodiment, the terminal device initiates a PDU session modification request message or a PDU session release request message through the 3GPP access technology, which is used to delete the Non-3 GPP-side connection in the multiple access PDU session, so that the multiple access PDU session is updated to be a schematic diagram of the single access PDU session.

S810, the terminal equipment sends a request message to the NG-RAN through the 3GPP side, wherein the request message is a PDU session modification request message or a PDU session release request message, and the message is used for deleting Non-3GPP side connection. Wherein the PDU session modification request message is one specific embodiment of the request message described in fig. 3. Specifically, the request message includes a first identifier and optionally a deletion indication. The first identifier indicates a deleted Non-3GPP access, and the deletion indication indicates deletion of the session connection on the access technology side indicated by the first identifier.

S820, the NG-RAN sends the PDU session modification request message or the PDU session release request message to the AMF network element.

S830, the AMF network element sends the PDU session modification request message or the PDU session release request message to the SMF network element. Network element

And S840, the SMF network element deletes the session connection of the Non-3GPP side according to the PDU session modification request message or the PDU session release request message.

The SMF network element receives the request message and deletes the session connection of the Non-3GPP side, including the need of notifying the N3IWF to delete the corresponding session resource and sending a response message to the terminal equipment. The process comprises the following steps:

mode one:

s850, the SMF network element sends the first message to the AMF network element. Wherein the first message comprises an access technology type set to 3GPP access, a PDU session modification response message, or a PDU session release response message.

S860, the SMF network element sends a second message to the AMF network element, wherein the second message comprises an access technology type set to be Non-3GPP access, N2 resource release request. The above-mentioned N2 resource release request contains a PDU session ID. The N3IWF determines deleted PDU session resources based on the PDU session ID.

S870, the AMF network element sends a first N2 session request message to the NG-RAN, where the first N2 session request message carries a PDU session modification response message or a PDU session release response message.

Optionally, before the Non-3GPP is deleted, the traffic stream is transmitted on the Non-3GPP, and after the Non-3GPP needs to be deleted again, the traffic stream is transmitted on the 3 GPP. And the PDU session modification response message or the PDU session release response message comprises the corresponding relation between the flow description information of the service flow and the 3GPP, and indicates that the service flow is transmitted on the 3 GPP.

S880, the AMF network element sends a second N2 session request message to the N3IWF, wherein the second N2 session request message carries an N2 resource release request. For instructing the N3IWF to delete session resources on the Non-3GPP side. The above-mentioned N2 resource release request contains a PDU session ID. The N3IWF determines deleted PDU session resources based on the PDU session ID.

Mode two:

s850, the SMF network element sends a third message to the AMF network element. Wherein the third message includes an access technology type set to 3GPP access corresponding to a PDU session modification response message or a PDU session release response message, and an access technology type set to Non-3GPP access corresponding to an N2 resource release request.

S870, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element is set to be that the 3GPP access corresponds to the PDU session modification response message or the PDU session release response message according to the access technology type, and the PDU session modification response message or the PDU session release response message is sent to the NG-RAN.

S880, after the AMF network element receives the third message. The AMF network element sets that Non-3GPP access corresponds to the N2 resource release request according to the access technology type, and sends the N2 resource release request to N3 IWF. For instructing the N3IWF to delete the session connection on the Non-3GPP side. The above-mentioned N2 resource release request contains a PDU session ID. The N3IWF determines deleted PDU session resources based on the PDU session ID.

S890, the NG-RAN sends a PDU session modification response message or a PDU session release response message to the terminal device for indicating that the terminal device Non-3GPP has deleted.

Alternatively, traffic flows transmitted on Non-3GPP are also indicated to be transmitted from 3 GPP.

S891, the NG-RAN sends an N2 session reply message to the AMF. For identifying that the NG-RAN received the N2 session request message sent by the AMF.

S892, the terminal equipment sends a PDU session modification response message or a response message of the PDU session release response message to the SMF network element.

S893, the SMF network element sends session modification information to the UPF network element to determine that the multi-access PDU session has been modified.

On the basis of the above method embodiment, the embodiment of the present application provides a service flow splitting method in combination with fig. 13. The traffic flow herein refers to the traffic flow in the PDU session, or the traffic flow in the flow, or the newly added traffic flow.

That is, the traffic flow split in this embodiment may be a packet granularity split of the traffic flow granularity, or a packet granularity split of the QoS flow granularity, or a packet granularity split of the PDU session granularity.

Fig. 13 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method of a sixth embodiment of the present application. Comprising a data transmitting network element 1210, a data receiving network element 1220 and steps S1210 to S1230

The data transmitting network element 1210 may be a terminal device, and the data receiving network element 1220 may be a UPF. Alternatively, the data transmitting network element 1210 may be a UPF, and the data receiving network element 1220 may be a terminal device.

S1210, the data transmitting network element determines a link state.

The data transmitting network element determines a link state of the first link and/or a link state of the second link. It should be appreciated that the data transmitting network element shunts before transmitting the data packet. First, it is determined whether or not a plurality of links to which a packet is to be transmitted satisfy a state of split transmission.

For example, the data transmitting network element determines that a first Round Trip Time (RTT) of the first link and a second RTT of the second link satisfy a first preset condition. The first preset condition may be that a difference between the first RTT and the second RTT is less than or equal to a first preset threshold. The first preset threshold is a value greater than or equal to 0.

For another example, the data sending network element determines that the first link delay of the first link and the second link delay of the second link meet a second preset condition. The second preset condition may be that a difference between the first link delay and the second link delay is less than or equal to a second preset threshold. The second preset threshold is a value greater than or equal to 0.

Specifically, the data sending network element may determine that the difference between the first RTT and the second RTT is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, where the initial time of sending the data packet by the data sending network element sends an equal amount of data through the first link and the second link, and then increase the amount of data sent by the first link and the second link respectively. Until the RTT of the first link and the second link changes, or the difference is greater than or near a first preset threshold, or until the RTT value of the first link or the second link approaches the maximum RTT acceptable to the traffic flow.

The first preset threshold may be set to 0, and when the difference between the first RTT and the second RTT is equal to 0, the first link and the second link may be used to split the traffic flow.

Specifically, the data sending network element determines that the difference between the first link delay and the second link delay is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, and may be that the initial time of sending the data packet by the data sending network element sends the same data volume through the first link and the second link, and then increases the sending data volumes of the first link and the second link respectively. Until the link delay difference between the first link and the second link is greater than or near a first preset threshold, or until the link delay value of the first link or the second link is near the maximum link delay acceptable to the traffic flow.

The second preset threshold may be set to 0, and when the difference between the first link delay and the second link delay is equal to 0, the first link and the second link can be used to split the traffic flow.

S1220, the data transmitting network element transmits the data packet.

The data transmitting network element transmits a first data packet through the first link and transmits a second data packet through the second link according to the link state of the first link and/or the link state of the second link, wherein the first data packet and the second data packet belong to the same service flow, the first data packet comprises a first TFCP header, the first TFCP header comprises a sequence number of the first data packet, the second data packet comprises a second TFCP header, and the second TFCP header comprises a sequence number of the second data packet.

It should be understood that, in order for the data receiving network element 1220 to be able to correctly receive a service flow, when different packets of the same service flow are transmitted through different links, the packets need to carry identification information that can indicate the sequence of the packets in the service flow.

Specifically, the first data packet and the second data packet may be the same data packet. In this case, it can be understood that the data transmission network element transmits the service flow on two links at the same time, and this method for transmitting the service flow can be applied to the service flow with high reliability requirement.

Alternatively, the traffic flow is the state that needs to be transferred from the first side link to the state that needs to be transferred from the second side link as described in fig. 3, and in the process that the traffic flow is transferred from the first side link to the second side link, the data sending network element needs to send the data packet of the traffic flow on both side links at the same time. Optionally, when the transmission of the service flow on the first side link is completed, the data transmitting network element transmits an End mark data packet as the last data packet transmitted on the first side link. Or optionally, when the transmission of the service flow starts or/and finishes at the same time on the first side link and the second side link, the data sending network element sends an End Marked data packet at the first link side or/and the second link side as an indication of the start or/and the End of the simultaneous transmission. In this embodiment, how the data sending network element decides that the first side link completes transmission is not limited, which may be the sending End Marked data packet described above, or the time length of the data transmission of the first side link reaching the first preset time length.

Or if the split ratio of the first link and the second link in the split policy shown in fig. 3 is 100%, the terminal device determines that the first data packet and the second data packet are the same data packet

S1230, the data receiving network element buffers the data packet.

The data receiving network element receives a first data packet sent by the data sending network element from a first link, wherein the first data packet comprises a first TFCP head, and the first TFCP head comprises a serial number of the first data packet; the data receiving network element receives a second data packet sent by the data sending network element from a second link, wherein the second data packet comprises a second TFCP header, the second TFCP header comprises a serial number of the second data packet, and the first data packet and the second data packet belong to the same service flow; the data receiving network element caches the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet.

It should be understood that when the data transmitting network element transmits the data packets through multiple links, the data receiving network element should correctly buffer the received data packets according to the sequence of the data packets in the traffic flow according to the identification information representing the sequence of the data packets in the received data packets, so as to correctly receive the traffic flow formed by the data packets.

The data receiving network element caches the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet, and the data receiving network element comprises: and the data receiving network element stores the first data packet and the second data packet in a buffer area according to sequence numbers according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet.

For example, when the data transmitting network element transmits 1, 3 data packets with sequence numbers from the first link and transmits 2, 4 data packets with sequence numbers from the second link, the data receiving network element sequentially buffers the 1, 2, 3, 4 data packets with sequence numbers according to the sequence numbers of the data packets when buffering according to the sequence numbers of the data packets transmitted from the first link and the second link.

Optionally, in some embodiments, the data receiving network element caches the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to a sequence number of the first data packet and a sequence number of the second data packet, including:

and if the buffer area comprises the first data packet and/or the second data packet, discarding the first data packet and/or the second data packet by the data receiving network element.

For example, the data packet with the sequence number of 1 is cached in the cache area, and if the data receiving network element receives the first data packet and/or the second data packet with the sequence number of 1, the first data packet and/or the second data packet is discarded.

Specifically, the data receiving network element sets the length of the buffer area as L, and stores the sequence number X of the data packet with the smallest sequence number buffered in the buffer area, where X is a positive integer.

and if the sequence number of the first data packet and/or the second data packet is smaller than the minimum data packet sequence number in the buffer area, discarding the first data packet and/or the second data packet by the data receiving network element.

For example, if the data receiving network element receives the first data packet and/or the second data packet with the sequence number M and M is smaller than X, the first data packet and/or the second data packet is discarded.

It should be appreciated that the first and second packets may be a plurality of packets, referred to as first and second, merely to distinguish between transmissions from the first link and the second link.

Specifically, the data receiving network element determines the status of the data packet in the buffer. Wherein the state of the data packet includes a lost state and a buffered state.

Specifically, if the data receiving network element does not receive the data packet for more than a predetermined time, the data receiving network element determines that the state of the data packet is a lost state. The data receiving network element determines the preset time length according to the link time delay of the first link and/or the second link; or the data receiving network element determines the preset duration according to the round trip time RTT of the first link and/or the second link. For example, the predetermined time period may be set to be half the time period of the first RRT described above; alternatively, the predetermined time period may be set to be half the time period of the second RRT described above; alternatively, the predetermined time period may be set to a maximum value of half the time period of the first RRT and half the time period of the second RRT.

Let L1 be the predetermined time length, RRT1 be the first RRT and RRT2 be the second RRT, l1=max (RTT 1/2, RTT 2/2).

Also for example, the predetermined length of time may be set to the link delay D1 of the first link; alternatively, the predetermined length of time may be set as the delay D2 of the second link; alternatively, the predetermined time period may be set to a maximum value of the two link delays.

Let the predetermined time length be L1, l1=max (D1, D2), where D1 and D2 may be calculated according to the first RRT and the second RRT, or may be obtained according to an empirical value, or may be a system specification.

Specifically, the time period exceeding the predetermined time period is a time period for survival, the time period for survival is a difference between a current time and the estimated receiving time of the data packet, and the estimated receiving time of the data packet is obtained based on a previous data packet receiving time of the data packet or/and a receiving time of a subsequent data packet.

For example, the data receiving network element records that the receiving time of the previous data packet of the data packet is T1, and/or the data receiving network element records that the receiving time of the next data packet of the data packet is T2.

The data receiving network element calculates the receiving time of the data packet as T3 according to the T1 and/or T2; for example, t3=t1+l, where l is a preset time spent for each packet transmission, or t2=t2-l, or t3=t1+ (T2-T1)/2, or t3=t2- (T2-T1)/2, when T1 and T2 are known.

The data receiving network element calculates the survival time L2 of the data packet according to the T3 and the current time T4; l2=t4-T3.

And when the survival time length L2 is greater than or equal to the preset time length L1, determining that the data packet is in a lost state.

For example, the data receiving network element starts a predetermined time period timer according to the receiving time of the previous data packet of the data packet or/and the receiving time of the next data packet of the data packet, and when the predetermined time period timer is overtime, the data packet is in a lost state. Specifically, when the time of receiving the previous data packet of the data packet is T1, a timer for a predetermined duration of the data packet is started at T1. Or, if the receiving time of the next data packet of the data packet is T2, starting a reservation time length timer of the data packet at T2. Or start the subscription duration timer of the data packet at any time in the middle of T1 to T2.

For example, when a packet with a sequence number N is buffered in the buffer by the data receiving network element and the packet with the sequence number N and the first N-1 packets of the packet with the sequence number N need to be sequentially output, if there is a missing third packet in the N packets, the third packet is determined to be in a missing state, and N is a positive integer.

It will be appreciated that in this case the lifetime L2 of the third data packet is less than or equal to the predetermined period L1, and the data receiving network element is no longer waiting to receive the third data packet.

Specifically, the outputting, by the data receiving network element, the data packet in the buffer area includes:

the data receiving network element receives the data packet with the sequence number of Y, caches the data packet with the sequence number of Y, and the data packets with the sequence number of less than Y are all in the cache area, and outputs the data packet with the sequence number of Y and all the data packets with the sequence number of less than Y in the cache area to the cache area, wherein Y is greater than or equal to X. Or when some of the data packets with the sequence numbers smaller than Y are in the lost state, all the data packets with the sequence numbers smaller than Y which are not in the lost state are in the buffer area, and the data receiving network element outputs the data packets with the sequence numbers of Y in the buffer area and all the data packets with the sequence numbers smaller than Y which are not in the lost state to the buffer area.

Further, the data receiving network element updates the X to y+1.

The data receiving network element receives the data packets with the sequence number of Y, and the data packets with the sequence number of less than Y are all in the buffer area, and the data receiving network element outputs all the data packets with the sequence number of less than Y in the buffer area to the buffer area, wherein Y is greater than or equal to X. Or when some of the data packets with the sequence numbers smaller than Y are in the lost state, all the data packets with the sequence numbers smaller than Y which are not in the lost state are in the buffer area, and the data receiving network element outputs the data packets with the sequence numbers smaller than Y which are not in the lost state in the buffer area to the buffer area.

Further, the data receiving network element updates the X to the Y.

The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described above with reference to fig. 3 to 13, respectively, from the execution actions of a single device and the interaction actions between the devices. The following describes a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application with reference to fig. 14 to 16.

Fig. 14 shows a schematic structure of a communication device 100. The apparatus 100 may be used to implement the methods described in the method embodiments described above, see the description of the method embodiments described above. The communication apparatus 100 may be a chip, a terminal device, or the like.

The communication device 100 includes one or more processing units 110. The processing unit 110 may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. For example, a baseband processor, or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processor may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, a terminal, or a chip, etc.), execute a software program, and process the data of the software program.

The communication device may comprise a transmission unit 120 for enabling output (transmission) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 120 may be an output circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used for a terminal device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device, and the sending unit 120 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device may comprise a receiving unit 130 for enabling input (reception) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 120 may be an input circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used for a terminal device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device, and the receiving unit 130 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication apparatus 100 includes one or more processing units 110, where the one or more processing units 110 may implement the communication method of the terminal device in each of the embodiments shown in fig. 3 to 13. Comprising the following steps:

a sending unit, configured to send a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request a new service flow to be added or updated;

a receiving unit, configured to receive, by using the first access technology and/or the second access technology, a response message of the request message sent by the first core network element;

the sending unit is further configured to transmit the service flow by using the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message.

In one possible design, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the second access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the traffic flow;

The response message includes the first identification information and the indication information of the second access technology; or,

the response message includes the first identification information, and indication information of the first access technology and indication information of the second access technology.

In another possible design, the request message includes first identification information, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the second access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the traffic flow;

In another possible design, the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology, where the first identification information is used to determine the traffic flow;

In another possible design, the request message further includes:

the first indication information is used for indicating the first core network element to modify the access technology corresponding to the service flow.

In one possible design, the first identification information includes:

at least one of the description information of the service flow, the quality of service flow identity QFI or the packet data unit PDU session identity.

In one possible design, the indication information of the first access technology is a first access type, and the indication information of the second access technology is a second access type; or alternatively

The indication information of the first access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a first access type, and the indication information of the second access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a second access type, or

The indication information of the first access technology and the indication information of the second access technology are QoS rules corresponding to the first access type and the second access type.

In one possible design, the response message includes a splitting rule, and the processing unit is configured to determine an amount of data transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the splitting rule; the sending unit transmitting the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message, including:

The sending unit transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the data volume.

In one possible design, the splitting rule includes a bandwidth value of the traffic stream transmitted through the first access technology and/or a bandwidth value of the traffic stream transmitted through the second access technology;

the offload rule includes a ratio of the amount of data or a ratio of bandwidth values transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and the second technology.

The communication apparatus 100 shown in fig. 14 implements the communication method of the terminal device in each of the embodiments shown in fig. 3 to 13, and specifically includes:

a sending unit, configured to send a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request deletion of a second access technology in a multiple access PDU session;

a receiving unit, configured to receive a response message of the request message from the first core network element through the first access technology, where the response message is used to indicate that deletion of the second access technology in the multi-access PDU session is successful.

In one possible design, the request message further includes at least one of a deletion indication and indication information of a second access technology, where the deletion indication indicates deletion of the second access technology in the multiple access PDU session, and the indication information of the second access technology is used to indicate the second access technology.

In one possible design, the response message includes a first identifier and indication information of a first access technology, where the first identifier is used to indicate that a traffic flow is transmitted through the first access technology, and the traffic flow is a traffic flow transmitted through the second access technology when the second access technology is not deleted.

a sending unit, configured to send a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request to add or update a third service flow or to request to establish a PDU session;

a receiving unit, configured to receive a response message sent by the first core network element through the first access technology and/or the second access technology;

the sending unit is further configured to transmit the third service flow or the PDU session through a plurality of access technologies based on a response message.

In one possible design, the third identifier includes: at least one of traffic flow description information, quality of service flow identity QFI or packet data unit PDU session identity.

In another possible design, the multiple access transmission indicator is a TFCP protocol indicator, or a TFCP protocol encapsulation indicator, or a packet granularity offload indicator.

In another possible design, the processing unit is configured to determine that the data includes a TFCP header based on the QFI, or determine that the data includes a TFCP header based on a PDU session to which the data packet belongs, or determine that the data received after the End marker data packet includes a TFCP header based on the End marker data packet.

In another possible design, the processing unit is configured to sort the packets based on the sequence numbers contained in the TFCP packet header.

In one possible design, the communication device 100 may further include a storage unit 140 for storing corresponding instructions. The processing unit executes the instructions in the storage unit to implement the operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

Fig. 15 shows a schematic structure of a communication device 200. The apparatus 200 may be used to implement the methods described in the method embodiments described above, see the description of the method embodiments described above. The communication device 200 may be a chip, or an access network device, etc.

The communication device 200 includes one or more processing units 210. The processing unit 210 may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. For example, a baseband processor, or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processor may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, a terminal, or a chip, etc.), execute a software program, and process the data of the software program.

The communication device may comprise a transmission unit 220 for enabling output (transmission) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 220 may be an output circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in an access network device. As another example, the communication device may be an access network device, and the sending unit 220 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device may comprise a receiving unit 230 for enabling input (reception) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 120 may be an input circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in an access network device. As another example, the communication device may be an access network device, and the receiving unit 230 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication apparatus 200 includes one or more processing units 210, where the one or more processing units 210 may implement the communication method of the access network device in each of the embodiments shown in fig. 3 to 13. Comprising the following steps:

a sending unit, configured to send network state information to a first core network element, where the network state information is used to indicate a data transmission state of the access network device;

And the receiving unit is used for receiving the indication information sent by the first core network element, wherein the indication information comprises a quality of service (QoS) file which is sent to the access network equipment and corresponds to the network state information.

And the processing unit is used for updating QoS according to the indication information.

In one possible design, the network state information includes at least one of a load, a bandwidth, a delay, a packet loss rate, or a signal strength of the first access network device.

In one possible design, the indication information includes a first identifier and indication information of an access technology, where the first identifier is used to determine the traffic flow, and the indication information of the access technology is used to indicate transmission of the traffic flow by the access technology indicated by the indication information of the access technology.

The communication apparatus 200 shown in fig. 15 may implement the communication method of the access network device in each embodiment shown in fig. 3 to fig. 13, and the specific implementation further includes:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a first data packet sent by a terminal device, where a packet header of the first data packet carries a fifth identifier, where the fifth identifier is used to instruct the first data packet to support multiple access technology splitting;

a sending unit, configured to send a second data packet to a first core network element, where a packet header of the second data packet includes a sixth identifier; the sixth identifier is configured to indicate that the second data packet supports multiple access technology handoffs, where the second data packet includes data content of the second data packet.

In one possible design, the fifth identifier or the sixth identifier is used to indicate that the data packet supports multiple access technology splitting, including: the fifth identifier or the sixth identifier is used for indicating that the data packet supports a TFCP protocol, or the data packet contains a TFCP packet header, or a sequence number of the data packet.

In another possible design, the first core network element obtaining the data packet according to the sixth identifier includes: and the first core network element analyzes the TFCP packet header or sorts the data packets according to the sixth identifier.

In one possible design, the communication device 200 may further include a storage unit 240 for storing corresponding instructions. The processing unit executes the instructions in the storage unit to implement the operations of the access network device in the above method embodiment.

Fig. 16 shows a schematic configuration of a communication device 300. The apparatus 300 may be used to implement the methods described in the method embodiments described above, see the description of the method embodiments described above. The communication apparatus 300 may be a chip, a core network device, or the like.

The communication device 300 includes one or more processing units 310. The processing unit 310 may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. The central processor may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, terminal, or chip, etc.), execute a software program, and process data of the software program.

The communication device may comprise a transmitting unit 320 for enabling output (transmission) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 320 may be an output circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in a core network device. As another example, the communication device may be a core network device, and the sending unit 320 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device may comprise a receiving unit 330 for enabling input (reception) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 320 may be an input circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in a core network device. As another example, the communication device may be a core network device, and the receiving unit 330 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device 300 includes one or more processing units 310, where the one or more processing units 310 may implement a communication method of a first core network element in the core network in each of the embodiments shown in fig. 3 to 13. Comprising the following steps:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a request message from a terminal device through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request a new or updated service flow;

A sending unit, configured to send a response message of the request message to the terminal device through the first access technology and/or the second access technology;

the response message is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit the service flow through the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology.

In another possible design, the request message further includes:

In one possible design, the first identification information includes:

The indication information of the first access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a first access type, and the indication information of the second access technology is a QoS rule corresponding to a second access type; or alternatively

In one possible design, the response message includes a splitting rule, and the terminal device determines an amount of data transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the splitting rule;

the terminal device transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the response message, and the method comprises the following steps:

and the terminal equipment transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the data volume.

In one possible design, the offloading rules include an amount of data that the traffic flows transmit over the first access technology and/or an amount of data that the traffic flows transmit over the second access technology; or alternatively

The splitting rule comprises a bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or a bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology;

The processing unit 330 is further configured to obtain policy information of the service flow;

the sending unit is configured to send a response message of the request message to the terminal device through the first access technology and/or the second access technology:

the sending unit sends a response message of the request message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology and/or the second access technology according to the strategy information.

In one possible design, the policy information includes:

the data volume transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or the data volume transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology; or alternatively

The bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or the bandwidth value transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology;

the traffic flow is transmitted by the first access technology and the second access technology in a ratio of data amounts or a ratio of bandwidth values.

In one possible design, the transmitting the traffic flow over the second access technology includes:

The sending unit is configured to send second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to a second access technology, where the second indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters related to the service flow.

In another possible design, the transmitting the traffic flow over the first access technology and the second access technology includes:

the sending unit is configured to send third indication information to a first access network device corresponding to a first access technology, where the third indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters related to the service flow;

In one possible design, the sending unit sending the second indication information to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology includes:

the sending unit is configured to send a second message to a second core network element, where the second message includes indication information of a second access technology and the second indication information, and the indication information of the second access technology is used to indicate to send the second indication information to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology.

the sending unit is configured to send a third message to a second core network element, where the third message includes third indication information, indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information, and indication information of the second access technology;

the second indication information and the indication information of the second access technology in the third message are used for indicating to send the second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to the second access technology

In one possible design, the sending unit sending the third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology includes:

the sending unit is configured to send a first message to a second core network element, where the first message includes indication information of a first access technology and the third indication information, where the indication information of the first access technology is used to indicate sending the third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology.

The sending unit is configured to send a third message to a second core network element, where the third message includes the third indication information, the indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information, and the indication information of the second access technology;

the third indication information in the third message and the indication information of the first access technology are used for indicating to send the third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology.

In one possible design, at least one of the first message, the second message, and the third message includes the response message.

Including the response message.

The communication apparatus 300 shown in fig. 16 may implement a communication method of a first core network element in a core network in each of the embodiments shown in fig. 3 to fig. 13, and specifically further includes:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a request message from a terminal device through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request deletion of a second access technology in a multiple access PDU session;

a sending unit, configured to send a response message to the terminal device through the first access technology, where the response message is used to indicate that deletion of the second access technology in the multiple access PDU session is successful.

a receiving unit, configured to receive network status information from a first access network device through a first access technology;

a processing unit, configured to configure a QoS file corresponding to the first access technology according to the network status information;

a sending unit, configured to send fourth indication information to the first access network device through a first access technology, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first access network device to update a corresponding QoS file of the first access technology.

a receiving unit, configured to receive a request message from a terminal device through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request to add or update a third service flow or to request to establish a PDU session;

and a sending unit, configured to send a response message to the terminal device through the first access technology and/or the second access technology, where the response message is used to instruct the third service flow or the PDU session to allow transmission of multiple access technologies.

In one possible design, the request message or the response message further includes a third identifier and a multiple access technology transmission indication, where the multiple access technology transmission indication is used to indicate that the terminal device requests that the third service flow or PDU session be determined for the third identifier for multiple access technology transmission or TFCP encapsulation.

In one possible design, the third identifier includes: at least one of traffic flow description information, quality of service flow identity QFI or PDU session identity.

In one possible design, the multiple access transmission indication is a TFCP protocol indication, a TFCP protocol encapsulation indication, or a packet granularity offload indication.

In one possible design, the sending unit is configured to send the fourth identifier and the multiple access technology transmission indication to the user plane network element.

In one possible design, the fourth identifier is at least one of traffic flow description information, quality of service flow identifier QFI or PDU session identifier or N4 session identifier.

In one possible design, the QFI is used for determining that the data of the terminal device includes a TFCP header, or the data of the tunnel identifier used for determining that the terminal device determines that the PDU session includes a TFCP header, or the End identifier End marker packet is used for determining that the data received after the End marker packet is used for the terminal device includes a TFCP header.

In one possible design, the sequence numbers contained in the TFCP packet header are used to order the packets.

In one possible design, the communication device 300 may further include a storage unit 340 for storing corresponding instructions. The processing unit executes the instructions in the storage unit to implement the operations of the first core network element in the method embodiment.

Fig. 17 shows a schematic structure of a communication device 400. The apparatus 400 may be used to implement the methods described in the method embodiments described above, see the description of the method embodiments described above. The communication device 400 may be a chip, or a data transmission network element, etc.

The communication device 400 includes one or more processing units 410. The processing unit 410 may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. The central processor may be configured to control the communication device (e.g., a terminal device, or a UPF, or an SMF), execute a software program, and process data of the software program.

The communication device may comprise a transmission unit 420 for enabling output (transmission) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 420 may be an output circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in a core network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a UPF, or an SMF, and the transmitting unit 420 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device may comprise a receiving unit 440 for enabling input (reception) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 420 may be an input circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in a core network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a UPF, or an SMF, and the receiving unit 440 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device 400 includes one or more processing units 410, where the one or more processing units 410 may implement the communication method of the data transmission network element in the embodiments shown in fig. 4 and 13. Comprising the following steps:

and the sending unit is used for sending the parameters of the transmission data of the multiple links to the data receiving network element.

And the receiving unit is used for receiving the confirmation information of the transmission data of the multiple links sent by the data receiving network element.

The sending unit is configured to send parameters of the multiple link transmission data to the data receiving network element, and specifically includes:

the sending unit sends parameters of the transmission data of the multiple links to the data receiving network element through control; or,

the sending unit sends the parameters of the data transmission of the links to the data receiving network element through the user.

In one possible design, the parameters of the data transmission of the plurality of links include: identification information of the data and indication information indicating that the data is transmitted through a plurality of links.

In one possible design, the parameters of the data transmission of the plurality of links further include: the first window length is used for indicating the sending window length of the data sending network element, wherein the data sending network element is the terminal equipment, the data receiving network element is a user plane network element, or the data sending network element is the user plane network element, the data receiving network element is the terminal equipment, or the data sending network element is a session management function network element, and the data receiving network element is the terminal equipment and the user plane network element.

In one possible design, the identification information of the data: at least one of data descriptive information, quality of service flow identity QFI or packet data unit PDU session identity or N4 session identity.

In one possible design, the indication information includes: at least one of a data flow control protocol TFCP indication, a TFCP encapsulation indication, a packet granularity distribution indication, a fusion tunnel identification or a network element protocol IP address, wherein the fusion tunnel indication is used for indicating that a fusion tunnel is established for the service flow, and the network element IP address is a data transmission network element or/and a data receiving network element IP address.

In one possible design, the acknowledgement information of the plurality of link transmission data includes parameters of the plurality of link transmission data; or, the acknowledgement information of the data transmitted by the plurality of links includes an acknowledgement message.

In one possible design, the data transmitting network element is a terminal device, the data receiving network element is a user plane network element, or the data transmitting network element is the user plane network element, the data receiving network element is the terminal device, or the data transmitting network element is a session management function network element, and the data receiving network element is the terminal device and the user plane network element.

In one possible design, the multiple links include a 3GPP link and a non-3 GPP link; or the links specifically comprise links of different access network devices of different access technologies; alternatively, the plurality of links specifically includes links of the same access technology and different access network devices.

The communication apparatus 300 shown in fig. 17 may implement the communication method of the data transmission network element in the embodiment shown in fig. 4 and fig. 13. The specific implementation method comprises the following steps:

the processing unit is further configured to determine a link state of the first link and/or a link state of the second link.

The sending unit is further configured to transmit a first data packet through the first link and transmit a second data packet through the second link according to a link state of the first link and/or a link state of the second link, where the first data packet and the second data packet belong to a same service flow, the first data packet includes a first TFCP header, the first TFCP header includes a sequence number of the first data packet, the second data packet includes a second TFCP header, and the second TFCP header includes a sequence number of the second data packet.

The processing unit is further configured to determine that a first round trip time RTT of the first link and a second RTT of the second link meet a first preset condition; or the data transmission network element determines that the first link delay and the second link delay meet a second preset condition.

In one possible design, the first preset condition includes: the difference value between the first RTT and the second RTT is smaller than or equal to a first preset threshold value; alternatively, the second preset condition includes: the difference value between the first link delay and the second link delay is smaller than or equal to a second preset threshold value.

In one possible design, the first data packet and the second data packet are the same data packet.

In one possible design, if the split ratio of the first link and the second link in the split policy is 100%, the processing unit determines that the first data packet and the second data packet are the same data packet.

Fig. 18 shows a schematic structure of a communication device 500. The apparatus 500 may be used to implement the methods described in the method embodiments described above, see the description of the method embodiments described above. The communication device 500 may be a chip, or a data receiving network element, etc.

The communication device 500 includes one or more processing units 510. The processing unit 510 may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. The central processor may be configured to control the communication device (e.g., a terminal device, or a UPF, or an SMF), execute a software program, and process data of the software program.

The communication device may comprise a transmission unit 520 for enabling output (transmission) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 520 may be an output circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in a core network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a UPF, or an SMF, and the transmitting unit 520 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device may comprise a receiving unit 550 for enabling input (reception) of signals. For example, the communication device may be a chip, and the transmitting unit 520 may be an input circuit of the chip, or a communication interface. The chip may be used in a core network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a UPF, or an SMF, and the receiving unit 550 may be a transceiver, a radio frequency chip, or the like.

The communication device 500 includes one or more processing units 510, where the one or more processing units 510 may implement the communication method of the data receiving network element in the embodiments shown in fig. 4 and 13.

A receiving unit, configured to receive a first data packet sent by a data sending network element from a first link, where the first data packet includes a first TFCP header, and the first TFCP header includes a sequence number of the first data packet; the receiving unit is further configured to receive a second data packet sent by the data sending network element from a second link, where the second data packet includes a second TFCP header, and the second TFCP header includes a sequence number of the second data packet, where the first data packet and the second data packet belong to the same service flow;

And the processing unit is used for caching the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet.

In one possible design, the processing unit is configured to buffer the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet, and includes:

the processing unit is configured to store the first data packet and the second data packet in the buffer according to sequence numbers according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet.

The processing unit is further configured to determine a state of the data packet in the buffer area. In one possible design, the state of the data packet includes a lost state, and the processing unit determines the state of the data packet as a lost state if the receiving unit does not receive the data packet for more than a predetermined period of time.

The processing unit is further configured to determine the predetermined duration according to a link delay of the first link and/or the second link; or the data receiving network element determines the preset duration according to the round trip time RTT of the first link and/or the second link.

In one possible design, the exceeding a predetermined time period is a survival time period, where the survival time period is a difference between a current time and the packet estimated receiving time, and the packet estimated receiving time is obtained based on a previous packet receiving time of a packet or/and a receiving time of a subsequent packet.

The processing unit is configured to buffer the first data packet and/or the second data packet according to the sequence number of the first data packet and the sequence number of the second data packet, and includes:

if the buffer area comprises the first data packet and/or the second data packet, the receiving unit discards the first data packet and/or the second data packet; or,

and if the sequence number of the first data packet and/or the second data packet is smaller than the minimum data packet sequence number in the buffer area, the receiving unit discards the first data packet and/or the second data packet.

It should be appreciated that in embodiments of the present application, the processing unit may be a central processing network element (central processing unit, CPU), which may also be other general purpose processors, digital signal processors (digital signal processor, DSP), application specific integrated circuits (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC), off-the-shelf programmable gate arrays (field programmable gate array, FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or the like. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like.

It should also be appreciated that the memory units in embodiments of the application may be volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically Erasable EPROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be random access memory (random access memory, RAM) which acts as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (random access memory, RAM) are available, such as Static RAM (SRAM), dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (ESDRAM), synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM).

The above embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination. When implemented in software, the above-described embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product comprises one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in accordance with embodiments of the present application are produced in whole or in part. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server, or data center to another website site, computer, server, or data center by wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains one or more sets of available media. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium may be a solid state disk.

It should be understood that the term "and/or" is merely an association relationship describing the associated object, and means that three relationships may exist, for example, a and/or B may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" herein generally indicates that the front and rear associated objects are an "or" relationship.

It should be understood that, in various embodiments of the present application, the sequence numbers of the foregoing processes do not mean the order of execution, and the order of execution of the processes should be determined by the functions and internal logic thereof, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative network elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application. It will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the system, apparatus and network element described above may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which are not repeated herein. In the several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other manners. For example, the above-described embodiments of the apparatus are merely illustrative, and the network element is merely a logical function division, and there may be other manners of dividing the network element or the component into a plurality of network elements or components when actually implemented, for example, the network element or the component may be combined or may be integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted or not performed. Alternatively, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed with each other may be an indirect coupling or communication connection via some interfaces, devices or network elements, which may be in electrical, mechanical or other form.

The network elements described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and components displayed as network elements may or may not be physical network elements, that is, may be located in one place, or may be distributed over multiple network elements. Some or all network elements can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of the embodiment. In addition, each functional network element in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated in one processing network element, or each network element may exist physically separately, or two or more network elements may be integrated in one network element. The functions, if implemented in the form of software functional network elements and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application may be embodied essentially or in a part contributing to the prior art or in a part of the technical solution in the form of a software product stored in a storage medium, comprising several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a first core network element, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present application. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art will readily recognize that variations or substitutions are within the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

the terminal equipment sends a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting updating of a multi-access packet data unit PDU session;

the terminal equipment receives a response message of the request message sent by the first core network element through the first access technology and/or the second access technology;

and the terminal equipment adopts the second access technology or the first access technology and the second access technology to transmit service flows according to the response message.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the request message comprises first identification information and indication information of the second access technology, the first identification information being used for determining the traffic flow;

3. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the request message includes first identification information, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the second access technology, the first identification information being used for determining the traffic flow;

4. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology, the first identification information being used for determining the traffic flow;

5. The communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first identification information includes:

6. The communication method according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the indication information of the first access technology is a first access type and the indication information of the second access technology is a second access type; or alternatively

7. The communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the request message further includes:

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the response message includes a forking rule, the method further comprising:

the terminal equipment determines the data quantity of the service flow transmitted through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the distribution rule;

9. The communication method according to claim 8, wherein,

the splitting rule comprises the data volume transmitted by the service flow through the first access technology and/or the data volume transmitted by the service flow through the second access technology; or alternatively

The offload rule includes a ratio of an amount of data or a ratio of bandwidth values transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and the second access technology.

10. A method of communication, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that a first core network element receives a request message from a terminal device through a first access technology, wherein the request message is used for requesting updating of a multi-access packet data unit PDU session;

the first core network element sends a response message of the request message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology and/or the second access technology;

the response message is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit a traffic flow through the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that the method further comprises:

the first core network element acquires policy information of the service flow;

the first core network element sends a response message of the request message to the terminal device through the first access technology and/or the second access technology, including:

and the first core network element generates a distribution rule according to the strategy information and sends a response message of the request message to the terminal equipment through the first access technology and/or the second access technology.

12. The communication method according to claim 11, wherein the policy information includes:

the traffic flow is transmitted by the first access technology and the second access technology by a ratio of data amounts or a ratio of bandwidth values.

13. A method of communication according to any of claims 10-12, characterized in that the method further comprises:

the first core network element sends second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to a second access technology, wherein the second indication information comprises a QoS file, and the QoS file comprises QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow.

14. A method of communication according to any of claims 10-12, characterized in that the method further comprises:

the first core network element sends third indication information to first access network equipment corresponding to a first access technology, wherein the third indication information comprises QoS files, and the QoS files comprise QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow;

15. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein the sending, by the first core network element, the second indication information to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology includes:

the first core network element sends a second message to a second core network element, wherein the second message comprises indication information of a second access technology and the second indication information, and the indication information of the second access technology is used for indicating to send the second indication information to the second access network equipment corresponding to the second access technology.

16. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein the sending, by the first core network element, the second indication information to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology includes:

the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises third indication information, indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information and indication information of the second access technology;

The second indication information and the indication information of the second access technology in the third message are used for indicating to send the second indication information to the second access network equipment corresponding to the second access technology.

17. The communication method according to claim 14, wherein the sending, by the first core network element, third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology includes:

the first core network element sends a first message to the second core network element, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a first access technology and the third indication information, and the indication information of the first access technology is used for indicating to send the third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology.

18. The communication method according to claim 14, wherein the sending, by the first core network element, third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology includes:

the first core network element sends a third message to the second core network element, wherein the third message comprises the third indication information, the indication information of the first access technology, the second indication information and the indication information of the second access technology;

19. A communication device, comprising:

a sending unit, configured to send a request message to a first core network element through a first access technology, where the request message is used to request updating of a multiple access packet data unit PDU session;

the sending unit is further configured to transmit a traffic flow using the second access technology, or the first access technology and the second access technology, according to the response message.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the request message includes first identification information for determining the traffic flow and indication information of the second access technology;

21. The communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the request message includes first identification information, indication information of the first access technology, and indication information of the second access technology, the first identification information being used to determine the traffic flow;

22. The communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the request message includes first identification information and indication information of the first access technology, the first identification information being used to determine the traffic flow;

23. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 20-22, wherein the first identification information comprises:

24. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 20-22, wherein the indication information of the first access technology is a first access type and the indication information of the second access technology is a second access type; or alternatively

25. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 20-22, wherein the request message further comprises:

26. The communication device according to any of claims 20-22, wherein the response message comprises a splitting rule, the communication device further comprising a processing unit for determining an amount of data to be transmitted by the traffic flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the splitting rule; the sending unit transmits the service flow through the first access technology and the second access technology according to the data volume.

27. The communication device of claim 26, wherein the communication device is configured to,

28. A communication device, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a request message from a terminal device through a first access technology, the request message being configured to request updating of a multi-access packet data unit PDU session;

29. The communication device of claim 28, wherein the device further comprises:

the processing unit is used for acquiring the strategy information of the service flow;

the sending unit is configured to send a response message of the request message to the terminal device through the first access technology and/or the second access technology according to the policy information.

30. The communication apparatus of claim 29, wherein the policy information comprises:

31. The communication apparatus according to any of claims 28-30, wherein the sending unit is further configured to send second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to a second access technology, where the second indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters corresponding to the traffic flow.

32. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 28-30, wherein the sending unit is further configured to send third indication information to a first access network device corresponding to a first access technology, where the third indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters corresponding to the traffic flow;

the sending unit is further configured to send second indication information to a second access network device corresponding to a second access technology, where the second indication information includes a QoS file, and the QoS file includes QoS parameters corresponding to the service flow.

33. The communication apparatus of claim 31, wherein the sending unit sending the second indication information to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology comprises:

34. The communication apparatus of claim 31, wherein the sending unit sending the second indication information to the second access network device corresponding to the second access technology comprises:

35. The communication apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sending unit sending third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology comprises:

36. The communication apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sending unit sending third indication information to the first access network device corresponding to the first access technology comprises:

37. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a memory for storing computer-executable instructions;

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9 and 10-18.

38. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of any of claims 1-9 and 10-18.